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LOOKING  WITHIN. 


THE    MISLEADING   TENDENCIES    OF 

"LOOKING   BACKWARD" 

MADE    MANIFEST. 


BY 

J.  W.  ROBERTS, 

AUTHOR  OF 

Laws  of  CM i lid,  The  Immigrants, 
(Miracles  Scientifically  Considered,  Etc. 


NEW-YORK: 

A.  S.  BARNES  &  COMPANY. 

1893. 


Copyright,  1893. 
J.  W.  ROBERTS. 


UTDfcA 
PEEFACE. 

Eenewed  America,  January  1,  2027. 

Inhaling  the  inspiring  breath  of  the  new  life  which 
invigorates  the  nation  so  lately  struggling  in  the  toils 
of  a  lingering  death,  and  cheered  by  the  resurrection 
of  all  industries  from  the  grave  in  which  they  were 
being  utterly  buried,  we  haU  the  dawn  of  a  new  era  of 
progi'ess  with  unspeakable  gladness. 

How  it  was  possible  for  a  people  once  so  fuU  of 
energy  to  become  wilhng  slaves,  selling  then-  royal 
bii'thright  for  a  mess  of  pottage,  is  a  mystery  as  yet 
unexplained.  That  such  a  people  could  endure  bond- 
age of  mind  and  body  for  three  generations  is  still 
more  astonishing  and  inexplicable. 

The  object  of  this  work  is  to  throw  light  upon  this 
enigmatical  problem,  warn  fellow-citizens  of  the  danger 
that  threatens  them  from  the  alluring  delusion  which, 
like  an  ignis  fatutis,  is  leading  them  along  the  shppery 
path  of  ruin,  and  prevent  any  such  catastrophe  ever 
overtaking  our  lieloved  country  in  the  futm'C. 

Let  the  stern  and  hard  facts  speak  for  themselves  as 
they  are  uttered  by  those  who  relate  their  own  sad 
experiences  in  these  pages.  Let  the  truth  cut  its  onward 
way,  and  all  delusions  and  so2)histries  perish  at  its  touch. 

''  The  righteous  shall  understand,"  but  the  "  wicked 
shall  pass  on  and  be  punished." 


PRELIMINARY  CHAPTER. 


I  HAD  the  distinguished  honor  of  being-  born  a' citizen 
of  the  United  States  of  America — that  laud  of  great 
boasters,  grandiloquent  orators,  financial  quacks,  and 
phenomenal  progress.  But  as  I  had  no  part  nor  lot  in 
the  antecedents  of  this  to  me  important  event,  I  am 
entitled  to  no  credit  whatever  in  connection  therewith. 
It  was  one  of  those  accidents  or  incidents  of  being  for 
which  the  individual  most  concerned  is  entitled  to 
neither  condemnation  nor  appi'oval.  As  far  as  subse- 
quent developments  have  thrown  light  uj^on  the  sub- 
ject, it  may  be  regarded  as  an  unexplained  mystery 
why  I  came  into  the  world  at  all. 

I  have  heard  my  respected  and  revered  parents,  who 
were  responsible  for  my  advent  upon  "  time's  mundane 
sphere,"  declare  that  I  was  subject  to  the  ordinary  ail- 
ments and  contingencies  incident  to  infantile  and  child- 
hood life ;  that  many  a  night  they  were  deprived  of 
needed  rest  because  of  my  innate  disposition  to  l)e 
restless,  which  manifested  itself  in  needlessly  loud  and 
prolonged  demands  for  attention  and  relief,  accom- 
panied by  kicks  and  cries  for  redress,  wlrich  neither 
paregoric  nor  catnip  tea  was  always  efficacious  to  siq)- 
press  or  ameliorate.  Then  foUowed  chicken-pox,  mea- 
sles, mumps,  whooping-cough,  and  other  post-teething 
ailments  to  which  humanity  has  been  subjected  since 

i 


2  LOOKING    WITHIN'. 

sonio  j)onod  in  the  niis^ty  past  to  wliioli  tlie  memory  or 
knowledge  of  man  runneth  not. 

Having  run  the  gauntlet  of  all  tliese  juvenile  ex- 
periences, some  of  which  came  late  enough  to  leave  a 
vivid  impression  uj)on  my  own  memory,  I  at  length 
merged  into  the  second  state  of  an  uneventful  cai*eer, 
and  became  one  of  that  uhicjuitous  class  of  the  yeuns 
homo  kno"s\Ti  as  "  Young  America." 

As  a  tribute  of  respect  to  my  immediate  progenitors 
I  gratefully  record  the  fact  that  in  consequence  of 
tlieii*  earefid  training  and  vigilant  watchfulness,  I  did 
not  fall  into  many  of  the  excesses  of  that  class  of  rest- 
less aspu-ants  for  fame  or  notoriety,  which  accounts 
for  the  fact  that  I  have  never  been  arrested  for  crimes 
or  misdemeanoi-s,  have  committed  neither  murder  nor 
suicide,  nor  seen  the  inside  of  a  prison  except  as  visitor 
or  spectator.  Nor  have  I  sought  distinction  by  be- 
coming a  bandit  or  a  cowboy  (i  hi  dime  novel.  Escap- 
ing all  these  contingencies  of  becoming  a  "hero"  may 
account  for  the  uneventfid.  character  of  an  inconspicu- 
ous life. 

Being  a  citizen  of  this  great  American  rei)ublic,  I 
have  l)een  somewhat  of  a  cosmopolitan.  My  ac(juaint- 
ance  and  o])servation  have  taken  in  city  and  rm-al  life. 
I  have  mingled  with  unsophisticated  youth  of  the 
country  and  with  fashiona1)le  devotees  of  metropolitan 
societ}'.  I  have  sympathized  with  the  timid  and  bash- 
ful maiden  on  the  farm  as  she  nuide  her  modest  and 
unostentatious  entrance  into  the  realm  of  wonumhood. 
I  have  witnessed  the  glitter  and  glare  of  the  costly 
dt'lmf  of  the  young  lady  of  wealth  into  the  arena  of  the 
••first  circle"  of  the  ('life.  I  have  ccmversed  with  the 
man  <»f  millions  and  witli  the  daily  toiler  who  "eats 
his  bread  in  the  sweat  of  his  face."     I  have  seen  much 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  3 

of  that  class  whose  happy  condition  is  described  as  the 
"golden  mean"  of  "neither  riches  nor  poverty."  Nor 
have  I  failed  to  interview  even  the  tramp  who  by  pref- 
erence or  necessity  becomes  a  wandering-  vagabond  or 
an  unfortunate  outcast. 

Having  thus  personally  familiarized  myself  with  the 
various  phases  of  the  "  social  compact,"  I  perhaps  fool- 
ishly considered  myself  competent  to  form  a  fair  and 
impartial  opinion  of  the  condition  and  environments 
of  humanity  in  this  lauded  "land  of  the  free  and  home 
of  the  brave."  At  any  rate,  I  felt  quite  sure  I  knew  as 
much  on  the  subjects  and  questions  of  exciting  discus- 
sion concerning  these  matters  as  any  one  who  did  not 
know  more  than  I  knew. 

That  something  was  radically  wrong  and  out  of 
harmony  witli  the  best  interests  of  the  race  seemed 
apparent  on  the  face  of  things.  Wliether  these  evils 
were  inherent  in  man  himself,  and  hence  in  a  measure 
inei;adicable ;  or  whether  they  were  the  result  of  de- 
fects in  the  laws  of  society  and  the  rule  of  government, 
and  therefore  remedial ;  or  whether  they  were  the  out- 
growth of  both  these  causes,  and  for  that  reason  partly 
open  to  redress  and  partly  not — were  questions  of  pro- 
found depth  and  interest,  demanding  the  calmest  de- 
liberation and  most  profound  consideration  of  the  best 
minds  possessed  of  the  widest  information.  And  yet 
men  without  knowledge,  with  the  merest  smattering 
of  intelligence,  rushed  upon  the  scene  with  panaceas 
for  aU  the  evils  of  the  world  and  quack  nostrums  to 
cui-e  all  the  "  ills  that  flesh  is  heir  to." 

Being  thus  in  touch  with  humanity  on  all  sides,  from 
infancy  to  manhood,  I  venture  to  place  before  the  great 
public  the  following  pages,  which  contain  a  more  am- 
ple and  enlarged  view  of  the  great  arena  upon  which 


4  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

the  momentous  problems  of  liiiman  destiny  are  bein^? 
wrought,  and  ask  for  the  same  a  candid  consideration 
and  such  verdict  as  may  be  justly  rendered,  tempered 
with  that  mercy  we  may  all  fairly  claim  by  reason  of 
our  own.  imperfections  and  the  chai'aeter  of  our  compli- 
cated environments. 


CHAPTER  I. 

I  WAS  iDorn  on  a  farm  adjoining  one  of  the  large  in- 
land manufacturing  cities  of  the  United  States.  My 
parents  at  the  date  of  my  bii'th  were  in  moderate  cir- 
cumstances. They  owned  the  premises  upon  which 
they  resided,  which  was  a  good-sized  farm,  well  stocked 
and  improved.  But  they  felt  the  need  of  close  apph- 
cation  and  imtiring  labor  in  order  to  tide  over  the 
crisis  of  existing  conditions.  My  father  had  made 
some  investments  about  the  time  of  my  advent  into 
the  family  from  which  he  hoped  much  in  the  futm-e, 
but  which  might  turn  out  unfortunate,  or  be  slow  to 
appreciate  if  fortunate  in  the  end.  These  outlays  had 
exhausted  all  the  money  he  had  accumulated  in  the 
past  by  years  of  toil  and  prudent  economy.  In  view 
of  any  possible  contingencies  he  realized  the  prudence 
and  necessity  of  making  as  much  as  possible  out  of 
present  time,  strength,  and  opportunities,  lest  the  e\dl 
day  might  come  and  find  him  unprepared  to  meet  its 
urgent  calls.  The  farm  was  the  only  possession  he 
could  now  occupy  and  employ  for  present  needs  and 
future  possible  contingencies. 

Accordingly,  when  only  eight  years  old  I  was  re- 
quired to  do  light  work  about  the  house  and  in  the 
garden  to  avoid  the  expense  of  hiring  an  extra  hand. 
From  ten  to  fifteen  years  of  age  I  was  put  through  the 
more  advanced  stages  of  labor  on  the  farm,  like  other 
boys  brought  up  in  like  manner.     I  was  not  particu- 

5 


6  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

lurly  faseiuatL'd  with  tLis  exijerieiiee,  Imt  imder  the 
wise  instruction  of  my  parents  I  tried  to  do  my  part 
well  and  faithfully.  My  fir.st  g^-adiiation,  therefore, 
Avas  in  the  school  of  labor.  My  father,  who  was  well 
qualified  to  judge  in  such  matters,  said  I  need  not  be 
asliamed  of  my  diploma,  which  was  some  compensa- 
tion for  the  rather  tii'esome  hom'S  of  toil. 

This  experience  in  the  ai'ena  of  labor  was  of  value 
to  me  in  after-years,  notwithstanding  the  immaturity 
of  judgment  at  that  time  of  life. 

During  this  period  of  existence  I  attended  the  city 
schools,  wliich  were  ably  conducted,  during  the  time  I 
could  be  spared  from  the  fai'm,  which  was  from  four  to 
six  months  every  year.  I  was  ambitions  to  excel  in  my 
studies;  but  as  my  associates  in  school  had  from  two 
to  fom*  mouths  more  time  in  the  schooh-oom  than  fell 
to  my  lot,  it  was  difficult  for  me  to  "  keep  up  with  the 
procession,"  as  the  phrase  went.  Indeed,  the  buniing 
desire  of  my  heart  to  be  at  the  head  of  my  classes 
never  could  have  been  realized  but  for  the  aid  of  my 
mother,  who  was  finely  educated,  and  she  fully  entered 
into  sympathy  with  me  in  my  aspirations  to  excel. 

She  instructed  me  at  home,  assisted  me  in  practice 
and  drill,  conducted  me  through  examinati<jus  in  ad- 
vance, and  so  kindled  me  with  enthusiasm  that  I  felt 
I  could  do  anji:hing  with  her  help.  Her  words  of 
encouragement  quickened  my  pulses,  stimulated  my 
powers,  made  me  feel  at  times  as  if  I  were  invincible. 

Oh,  to  that  mother,  now  sainted  in  heaven,  whose 
memory  is  more  precious  to  me  than  rubies,  I  owe 
everything  that  is  worthy  or  valuable  in  me. 

My  father  was  a  college  gi-aduate  and  a  man  of 
liroad  culture  and  much  experience,  and  greatly  as- 
sisted in  my  training.     He  possessed  a  good  library  of 


LOOKING   WITPIIN.  7 

well-selected  books  on  a  wide  range  of  snbjeets,  with 
the  latest  cyclopedias,  so  that  I  had  many  advantages 
and  tried  to  improve  them. 

My  second  graduation  was  from  the  city  schools, 
with  full  grade  and  honorable  mention  by  the  superin- 
tendent. 

"While  thus  attending  school,  I  became  acquainted 
with  a  girl  student  two  years  my  junior  in  age,  whose 
father  was  a,  manufacturer  in  the  city.  His  residence 
at  that  time  was  out  toward  my  father's  farm,  so  that 
we  children  traveled  the  same  street  to  and  from  school 
each  day,  and  were  frequently  thrown  together.  This 
gave  me  many  opportunities  of  rendering  her  little 
services,  for  which  she  always  thanked  me  pleasantly. 
Judged  by  my  standard,  she  was  the  handsomest  girl 
in  school,  and  I  was  natvirally  attracted  to  her.  But 
she  was  shy  and  I  was  bashful,  so  that  our  friendship 
was  at  arm's  length,  so  to  speak,  and  did  not  progress 
to  close  relationship  very  rapidly.  Without  being  able 
to  account  for  the  fact,  I  could  be  more  free  with  any 
other  gui  in  school  than  with  this  one,  whom  I  es- 
teemed more  highly  than  any  other.  This  may  have 
been  "  boyish  love,"  but  I  did  not  stop  to  analyze  the 
feeling  while  I  felt  the  attraction.  She  was  an  excel- 
lent student,  uniformly  kind  to  all  her  associates,  and 
a  general  favorite.  But  she  was  simple  and  unaf- 
fected in  manner,  and  a  real  lady,  young  as  she  was, 
in  deportment.  I  instinctively  knew  she  had  a  good 
mother. 

Her  presence  always  inspired  me  to  do  my  best, 
whether  in  school  or  on  the  playground.  I  cared  more 
for  her  approval  than  for  the  approbation  of  all  the 
rest  of  the  school  combined.  Her  name  was  Efifie,  and 
somehow  the  name  and  its  possessor  became  associated 


8  LOOKING  ^^^THIX. 

and  bleruk'd  iu  my  uiind  until  I  thonglit  the  two  ad- 
mirably adapted  to  each  other — a  mere  fancy,  of  course. 

About  this  time  my  fathei^'s  investments  began  to 
realize  handsomely,  even  beyond  his  most  sanguine 
anticipations.  I  was  released  from  work  on  the  farm, 
and  iu  accordance  with  my  earnest  desire  for  a  scho- 
lastic education,  I  commenced  preparations  to  enter 
college. 

When  these  were  nearly  completed,  I  felt  a  master- 
ing desii'e  to  see  Effie  and  bid  her  adieu  before  leaving 
home.  Since  school-days  I  had  not  seen  her  very  fre- 
quently, l)ut  her  image  had  become  a  fixture  in  the  gal- 
lery of  mind  and  memory.  Wh}'  did  I  wish  to  see  her 
so  greatly  and  yet  be  so  careless  about  any  and  all 
others  ?  I  did  not  know,  and  made  no  attempt  to  an- 
swer the  question.     I  only  knew  the  fact. 

As  before  remarked,  I  was  timid.  This  timidity  pre- 
vented me  from  calling  upon  her  in  a  regular  and  for- 
mal manner.  I  should  have  confided  in  my  mother, 
who  could  have  relieved  the  situation  by  her  tact  and 
love ;  l)ut  for  the  first  time  in  my  life  I  had  an  expe- 
rience I  was  keepiug  from  her. 

I  made  several  unnecessary  errands  into  town,  and 
as  many  necessary  ones  as  possible,  hoping  to  meet 
Effie  on  the  street,  or  in  front  of  her  home.  Man}-  dis- 
appointments made  me  restless.  JMother  was  quick  to 
notice  this,  l)ut  the  prospect  of  leaving  home  fm-nished 
ample  explanation,  and  my  secret  renudned  undiscov- 
ered. 

At  length  my  last  day  at  home  amved.  On  the 
morrow  I  was  to  leave  for  school.  I  went  into  the 
city  with  a  trembling  hope.  It  wa.s  my  last  oppor- 
tunity. Would  I  meet  her?  I  went  the  usual  round 
with  the  usual  result,  and  set  out  on  my  return  weary 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  9 

and  disappointed.  Suddenly  from  a  side  street  she 
stepped  out  before  me,  not  a  half-block  distant,  and 
was  going  toward  home. 

My  heart  beat  quick.  With  much  trepidation  I  ap- 
proached and  opened  conversation  with  her.  After 
brief  preliminaries  I  came  to  the  matter  uppermost  in 
my  thoughts,  and  said  : 

"  I  leave  for  college  in  the  morning." 

I  fancied  she  was  a  little  startled,  but  she  looked  up 
into  my  face  earnestly,  and  replied : 

"  So  soon  ?  I  had  learned  you  were  expecting  to  go, 
but  did  not  think  it  was  time  yet." 

"  Yes,  the  session  commences  next  week." 

"  I  am  sorry  you  are  going  away." 

"  Are  you  indeed  ?     Will  you  miss  me  at  all  ? " 

"  Of  coiu'se  we  shall  miss  you." 

"  We  f     But  will  you  miss  me  ? " 

"  Certainly  I  shall.  And  yet  I  am  glad  you  are 
going  to  perfect  your  education." 

"  I  hope  you  will  not  entirely  forget  me  while  I  am 
away." 

"I  shall  not.  I  shall  remember  you  every  time  I 
pass  along  the  street  we  have  walked  together  so  fre- 
quently." 

"  And  I  shall  think  of  you  every  day  when  not  too 
busy  with  my  studies." 

These  remarks  were  not  very  rapturous  nor  compli- 
mentary on  either  side,  perhaps,  but  they  had  the  merit 
of  truth  and  honesty.     She  replied  : 

'^  I  hope  you  will  do  honor  to  yourself,  your  teach- 
ers and  friends  here  by  your  studious  com-se  while 
absent." 

"  I  certainly  will  try  to.  I  hope  no  friend  at  home 
will  be  ashamed  of  me." 


10  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

"  Whatever  else  you  do,  be  true,  manly,  and  noble." 

"  I  trust  1  shall  never  do  anything  to  cause  any  one 
regi'et  or  shame  for  my  conduct.  I  coidd  not  beai*  to 
have  my  friends  thudj  ill  of  me  because  I  had  merited 
disapproval." 

''I  do  not  believe  you  will  forfeit  the  good  opinion 
of  those  who  esteem  you,"  she  said,  with  a  look  of  con- 
fidence and  encouragement,  which  was  inspiring  and 
never  faded  from  my  memory. 

As  we  neared  the  gate  to  her  home  I  proffered  my 
hand.  She  i)laced  hers  confidingly  in  mine.  The  press- 
ure I  gave  was  somewhat  ardent,  as  I  spoke  the  part- 
ing words. 

"  Good-by." 

I  tliiuk  she  retm-ned  the  pressure,  though  I  was  ex- 
cited and  may  have  fancied  more  than  was  real.  But 
there  was  something  in  the  tone  of  her  voice  as  she 
said  ''  Good-by  "  which  I  never  forgot.  And  thus  we 
parted.  No  demonstration,  no  professions  of  love,  if 
any  love  existed.  We  were  little  more  than  children, 
but  I  think  our  mutual  esteem  was  a  soiu-ce  of  real 
benefit. 

I  have  dwelt  upon  this  little  episode  in  my  unevent- 
ful life  in  youth  because  of  its  influence  upon  all  my 
after-cai'cer.  As  this  event  may  not  be  called  up  again 
in  this  narrative,  I  will  take  leave  of  it  by  saying  that 
during  the  dark  days  at  college  and  in  the  university, 
when  disposed  to  become  discouraged,  the  words  of  my 
little  friend  came  to  me  time  and  again  as  a  benedic- 
tion :  "I  hope  you  will  do  honor  to  yourself  and  your 
friends  here  by  your  studious  course."  With  those 
words  ringing  freshly  in  my  ears,  I  conquered  difficul- 
ties and  mastered  hard  problems.  And  when  tempted 
to  go  astray,  as  all  young  men  are  in  like  circum- 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  11 

stances,  those  other  words,  "  Whatever  else  you  do,  be 
true,  mauly,  and  noble,"  came  as  a  shield  and  a  warn- 
ing and  kept  me  from  stumbling.  So  these  parting 
words,  and  the  sweet  face  of  her  who  spoke  them  in 
earnest  simplicity,  became  a  talisman  which  threw  over 
and  about  me  its  protecting  aegis  in  many  an  hour  of 
sore  trial. 


CHAPTER  II. 

"While  in  college  questious  of  puhlic  interest  were 
discussed  among  the  students  and  debated  in  the  ly- 
ceum.  Among  these  that 'of  capital  and  labor  held  a 
prominent  place.  Theories  on  this  topic  were  handled 
very  sagely  by  the  young  men,  many  of  whom  regarded 
themselves  as  wiser  than  the  philosoj)hers  and  states- 
men of  ancient  or  modern  times. 

All  new  treatises  on  the  subject  were  secured  and 
perused.  This  was  a  part  of  the  recreation  of  a  fcAv 
students  who  did  not  engage  in  the  dissipation  so  gen- 
erally prevalent. 

One  author  attracted  considerable  attention  because 
of  the  unique  simile  under  which  he  represented  the 
human  race.  They  were  all  said  to  be  connected  with 
a  huge  coach,  some  as  passengers  in  and  upon  it,  others 
as  toilers  in  the  traces.  The  former  were  the  rich, 
possessing  all  things,  the  latter  the  poor,  ha\dng  noth- 
ing. The  wi'etched  condition  of  the  begrimed  nuisses 
in  the  dirt  and  mud,  tugging  for  dear  life  to  drag  the 
coach  along  the  rugged  way,  was  graphically  described. 
The  picture  was  a  sad  one  to  contemplate.  Tlui 
wretchedness  of  the  miserable  beings  whose  braA\ai 
and  muscle  slowly  pulled  the  hea\y  load  was  portrayed 
in  doleful  language  and  placed  in  the  most  repulsive 
light  and  shade.  Reading  the  delineation  one  woidd 
be  led  to  think  the  writer  had  dipped  his  ])en  in  a  mix- 
ture of  ink  composed  of  tears,  blood,  and  mire.  What 
he  failed  to  depict  as  forlorn  and  detestable  was  aj)- 

12 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  13 

parently  from  lack  of  ability  or  words  to  say  more, 
and  not  from  want  of  disposition. 

Of  those  riding  on  the  coach  scarcely  a  good  word 
could  be  said.  They  were  so  far  above  and  removed 
from  the  toiling  herd  in  sentiment  and  sympathy  as 
to  have  no  fellowship  tvith  them,  and  what  httle  feeling 
was  had  for  them  manifested  itself  in  small  contribu- 
tions from  the  pocket,  with  no  tenderness  of  pity,  and 
no  feeling  of  common  humanity  or  brotherhood,  and 
these  pittances  from  enormous  wealth  were  grudgingly 
bestowed  to  alleviate  extreme,  cases  of  hardship  and 
suffering. 

This  terrible  condition  of  things  was  not  relieved  of 
its  odiousness  because  of  the  fact  that  daily  some  of 
the  toilers  and  the  passengers  exchanged  places  and 
positions,  some  tumbling  off  the  coach  and  others 
climbing  upon  it ;  for  these  new  recruits  in  each  case 
became  a  part  of  the  new  surroundings  with  all  the 
adjuncts.  All  the  reUef  to  the  situation  was  in  the 
fact  that  the  conditions  were  not  permanent  and  could 
not  be  crystallized  into  castes.  The  nabob  of  to-day, 
arrayed  in  his  fine  toggery,  might  to-morrow  be  in  the 
traces,  exchanging  Ms  fine  apparel  for  the  rags  of  a 
servant,  while  the  servant  donned  his  robes  or  put  on 
better  ones.  And  so  the  panorama  moved  along  like 
a  dismal  phantasmagoria. 

This  representation  of  the  population  of  the  countiy, 
though  striking,  and  as  to  the  extremes  of  population 
not  entii'ely  delusive,  is  yet  very  defective,  fi-om  this 
fact  among  others,  that  it  utterly  ignores  the  great 
middle  class  of  the  people,  constituting  a  majority  of 
all,  who  belong  to  neither  of  the  other  classes  described. 
They  neitlier  ride  on  the  coach  nor  pidl  in  its  traces. 
They  labor,  but  it  is  for  Hicinsoh'es,  for  their  own  com- 


14  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

fort  and  advanceineut.  Tliey  set  their  own  tasks, 
work  theii'  own  hours,  and  rest  at  their  own  dictation. 
They  are  the  dispensers  of  theii*  own  time,  stren^h, 
and  means.  Most  of  them  have  theii*  own  homes,  live 
in  comfort,  and  enjoy  more  real  happiness  than  the 
lordly  rich  ones  riding  on  the  coach,  while  they  are 
strangers  to  the  sufferings,  want,  and  privations  of  the 
veiy  poor. 

I  was  one  of  this  class  when  as  a  boy  I  worked  on 
the  farm,  and  speak  from  personal  experience  as  well 
as  wide  observation.  We  discussed  the  various  phases 
of  this  subject  in  college,  and  there  was  quite  a  diver- 
gence of  opinions  expressed  thereon. 

During  vacation  I  had  numerous  conversations  with 
my  parents  on  this  theme.  My  mother  said  there 
seemed  to  her  to  be  a  lack  of  appreciation  of  the  true 
character  and  dignity  of  labor  on  the  part  of  large 
numbers  of  citizens.  Many  regarded  it  as  a  hardship 
or  even  a  curse,  with  slight  mitigation,  others  esteemed 
it  a  disgrace,  to  labor  ^vitli  the  hands.  While  no  one 
delighted  in  toil  for  toil's  sake  alone,  and  there  is 
nothing  in  hard  work  of  itself  to  render  it  desii-able, 
yet  in  the  great  law  of  compensation  there  is  a  cheer- 
ful view  of  the  situation.  Things  are  not  so  unequal 
as  is  generally  conceded  even  by  advanced  thinkers. 

"  In  my  own  case,"  she  explained,  '^  I  enjoyed  the 
work  I  did  for  husband  and  son  exquisitely.  There 
Avas  no  pleasanter  or  more  highly  prized  experience  of 
my  life  than  that  of  doing  something  for  those  I  loved. 
If  mth  my  own  hands  I  could  make  an  article  or  per- 
form some  handiwork,  or  add  some  touches  that  would 
enhance  the  comfort  of  those  dear  ones,  there  was  a 
sweetness  about  it  that  did  not  come  when  I  hired  the 
work  done.      There  was  real  comfort  in  feeling  that 


LOOKING  ^VITHIN.  15 

my  hands  had  performed  this  labor,  and  that  my  hands 
should  place  it  where  it  belonged.  So  when  yoiu*  father 
did  the  like  for  me,  or  my  son  either,  the  reception 
of  such  tokens  of  love  and  care  for  me  on  their  part 
added  tenfold  to  the  joy  I  felt  in  recei\dng  the  same. 
Like  gifts  from  others  were  never  so  dear  nor  so  highly 
prized,  because  not  prompted  by  the  same  motive. 
Wlien  husband  or  son  brought  to  me  their  evidences 
of  thoughtful  affection  I  always  felt  like  taking  them 
to  my  heart  in  a  warm  embrace  with  a  kiss  of  love 
upon  the  lips;  and  though  I  did  not  always  do  this, 
yet  I  felt  the  soKd  happiness  these  dehghtful  experi- 
ences produced  in  my  innermost  being.  It  is  thus  that 
love  sanctifies  and  glorifies  labor,  and  renders  it  one  of 
the  crowning  blessings  of  the  human  race." 

"  I  know  that  is  true,"  I  replied.  "  I  well  remember 
when  I  secm-ed  for  you  the  fii*st  flowers  of  spring  or 
the  fii'st  ripe  fruit  of  the  season,  though  the  effort  often 
cost  no  little  toil  and  effort,  how  I  anticipated  all  the 
while  and  then  was  so  richly  repaid  a  thousandfold  by 
the  kiss  you  gave  me  and  the  light  of  joy  in  your  eye. 
The  remembrance  of  those  occasions  is  rich  and  fra- 
grant to-day — a  sweet  legacy  that  is  above  price,  and 
that  nothing  can  destroy.  We  do  not  always  see  the 
results  of  our  efforts  as  in  these  cases  where  cause  and 
effect  are  so  near  together,  but  after  aU  the  mutual 
labors  of  a  family  united  in  love  have  the  same  tend- 
ency always  and  bring  the  same  rich  harvest  of  re- 
ward." 

"You  are  right,  my  son.  The  dearest  enjoyments 
come  to  us  through  these  channels.  I  can  now  furnish 
to  my  dear  ones  more  expensive  gifts  than  I  used  to 
bestow,  but  there  is  a  lack  of  the  true  joy  of  giving.  It 
is  only  the  purchase  of  money.     The  bright  glory  that 


IG  LOOKING  ^NITHIN. 

coronated  the  ^t  \ntli  its  halo  before  is  not  present 
now — at  least  not  to  the  same  extent ;  the  brightness 
is  dimmed,  and  hence  the  present  loses  a  part  of  its 
value  to  both  the  giver  and  the  recipient.  The  more 
heart  there  is  in  the  gift  or  the  service  rendered,  the 
more  valuable  it  is  to  both  the  bestower  and  the  re- 
ceiver. That  is  it.  Out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart 
is  the  joy  of  life.  And  this  brings  out  another  phase  of 
experience.  The  poor  in  purse  are  apt  to  envy  the  rich, 
and  think  hard  of  fate,  as  they  term  it,  because  then*  lot 
is  one  of  poverty  and  privation.  Yet  which  of  these 
dissatisfied  and  complaining  ones  would  exchange 
everything,  including  personality  and  loved  ones,  with 
the  richest  man  on  earth  ?  Who  would  go  out  of  him- 
self, out  of  his  home,  leaving  wife  and  children,  to  be- 
come another  person,  with  that  other's  personality, 
home,  and  kindi'cd  ?  No  human  being  who  appreciates 
himself  or  his  loved  ones  would  entertain  the  thought 
for  a  moment  if  the  other  was  possessed  of  millions 
upon  millions.  Things  are  not  so  unequal  as  we  think. 
The  law  of  compensation  largely  prevails." 

"  That  is  a  new  feature  of  the  situation  I  had  not  be- 
fore considered.  But  its  application  is  apparent,"  was 
my  comment. 


CHAPTER  III. 

It  may  be  well  now  to  pass  from  these  circumscribed 
limits  to  a  wider  field  of  observation. 

The  contest  between  capital  and  labor,  or  the  agita- 
tion of  the  subject,  kept  growing*  more  prominent. 
Labor  organizations  became  the  order  of  the  day.  In 
the  legitimate  sphere  of  their  operations  these  were  ex- 
cellent and  praiseworthy.  But  they  were  power  con- 
centrated ;  and  power  is  good  or  bad  according  to  the 
manner  of  its  exercise.  If  it  is  badlj^  directed,  the 
gi"eater  the  power  the  more  serious  the  harm  in  its  ad- 
ministration. Capital  is  power.  Organized  lal)or  is 
power.  The  one  or  the  other  may  be  abused  and  be- 
come a  scourge  instead  of  a  blessing.  A  conversation 
between  two  laboring  men  which  occurred  in  my  pres- 
ence will  present  one  aspect  of  this  perplexing  problem 
in  a  tolerably  clear  and  impressive  manner. 

The  two  men  were  discussing  the  merits  of  a  strike 
of  workmen  that  was  then  agitating  the  country.  One 
of  them  was  in  hearty  sympathy  with  the  sti'ikers  and 
very  bitter  against  their  employers.  He  was  unsparing 
of  rebuke  on  the  one  side,  and  profuse  in  panegyric  on 
the  other.  He  finally  appealed  to  his  companion,  who 
had  listened  in  silence  to  .most  of  his  remarks,  for  his 
views.  With  calmness  and  deliberation  he  responded, 
growing  eloquent  and  earnest  as  he  proceeded. 

"  I  cannot  agree  with  all  you  say.  I  know  the  world 
is  indebted   to  labor  for  aU  material   development. 

17 


18  LOOKINC}   WITHIN. 

Labor  camos  forward  all  industrial  enterprises,  and 
leads  {dl  i)rogress  along  the  lines  of  productive  skill. 
Honest  labor  should  l)e  fostered  and  protected. 

"  Labor  organizations  are  valuable  as  aids  to  work- 
men in  the  exercise  of  proper  functions;  but  when 
wrongly  handled  are  a  gi*eat  curse  to  those  who  trust 
in  them.  I  am  a  member  of  two  of  these  organizations 
and  know  of  what  I  speak. 

"  I  do  not  believe  forcible  strikes  are  ever  justifiable 
in  this  country.  In  the  Old  World  it  may  be  different, 
because  the  whole  framework  of  society  and  usage 
differs  from  ours,  so  that  a  laboring  man  there  has 
a  poor  show  to  secure  moi'e  than  a  mere  competence. 
But  here,  where  the  field  is  wide  and  all  avenues  are 
open,  where  every  man  has  a  natiu'ally  equal  chance 
with  others,  and  where  four  fifths  of  our  wealthy  men 
commenced  their  careers  as  daily  laborers,  and  by  then* 
own  efforts  have  reached  their  present  positions  of 
affluence,  there  is  no  excuse  for  the  exercise  of  force  in 
compelling  men  to  quit  work  or  to  do  work. 

"■  And  yet  eveiy  labor  organization  is  based  on  this 
idea  of  force — an  idea  born  in  foreign  lauds  and  not 
indigenous  to  our  soil.  They  are  so  constituted  that 
one  man,  or  a  committee  of  head  men,  can  give  orders 
which  the  men  are  compelled  to  obey,  whether  they 
wish  to  or  not.  Members  are  received  only  on  condi- 
tion of  taking  a  solemn  oath  or  obligation  to  do  this 
veiy  thing  along  with  others.  When  a  man  thus  binds 
himself  he  is  no  longer  free.  He  is  a  slave  to  all  in- 
tents and  pui-poses.  He  puts  himself  under  masters, 
and  has  no  more  liberty  than  a  machine.  He  gets  no 
compensation  that  is  a  fair  equivalent  for  this  loss  of 
independence  and  self-control.  There  is  no  greater 
despotism  on  God's  footstool  than  are  these  labor  or- 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  19 

ganizations  as  now  conducted.  The  Czar  of  Russia  is 
not  a  whit  more  despotic  than  the  head  of  one  of  these. 

"  The  '  walking-  delegate '  is  actually  paid  usually  one 
dollar  per  day  extra  during  a  strike  or  other  trouble  to 
look  after  matters ;  and  this  is  practically  a  bribe  for 
him  to  foment  difficulties  that  he  may  ply  his  vocation. 
There  never  was  a  system  devised  by  designing  dema- 
gogues that  more  effectually  enthrones  tyrants  and 
fetters  men  than  these  same  combinations.  I  have 
been  there,  as  I  said,  and  know  the  truth  of  what  I  say. 
So  do  you,  if,  as  I  presume,  you  are  a  member  of  one 
of  these  labor  leagues.  You  fully  understand  that 
every  member  is  bound  to  obey  orders,  right  or  wrong. 

"  As  previously  stated,  forcible  strikes  are  un-Ameri- 
can. They  are  always  evidence  of  the  exercise  of  ar- 
bitrary power.  I  never  knew  one  to  occur  where  there 
were  not  members  opposed  to  such  action.  But  the 
iron  hand  was  upon  them,  and  they  could  do  no  other 
than  submit.  This  is  no  fancy  sketch.  In  the  discus- 
sion of  modes  of  procedm-e  while  the  strike  is  on,  you 
well  know  that  it  is  proposed  and  debated  just  to  what 
length  the  work  of  force  shall  proceed.  It  is  invariably 
a  part  of  the  plan  and  purpose  of  a  strike  to  prevent 
other  men  fi'om  taking  the  places  of  the  strikers.  It  is 
also  either  settled  or  left  with  those  who  manage  the 
strike  to  determine  how  much  violence  shall  be  done 
and  what  amount  of  property  may  be  destroyed.  Crime 
is  thus  deliberately  planned  in  the  lodge,  and  carried 
out  on  the  theater  of  the  strike. 

"  It  is  the  right  of  every  free  man  to  quit  working 
for  any  man,  firm,  or  corporation  at  pleasure,  when  not 
bound  by  contract.  But  his  right  ends  with  the  dis- 
position of  himself.  If  he  tries  to  prevent  another 
workman  from  taking  the  place  he  has  vacated,  he  is 


20  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

a  tjTuut.  Aiul  yet  this  is  the  very  essence  of  the  spii-it 
of  labor  combiues.  Labor  never  can  be  and  never 
ou*:^ht  to  be  free  so  long  as  it  imposes  shackles  upon 
others.  Until  it  can  '  do  unto  others  as  it  would  have 
others  do  to  it/  it  is  not  in  a  position  to  ask  for  help  or 
s}Tnpathy.  * TMiatsoever  a  man'  or  an  organization 
'  sows,  that  shall  he '  or  it  '  also  reap.'  This  is  the 
eternal  law  of  justice  and  righteous  retribution. 

"  Capital  has  the  same  right  to  dismiss  one  workman 
and  take  another,  where  no  contract  exists,  as  labor  has 
to  quit  work." 

''  I  am  not  sure  about  that,"  said  the  other.  "  The 
workmen  have  made  the  business  and  wealth  of  their 
employers,  and  have  some  rights  which  they  are  bound 
to  respect." 

"  Wliat  rights  ?  None  whatever  but  those  of  contract 
or  agi'eement.  If  you  sell  me  yoiu*  labor  at  so  much  a 
day  for  any  length  of  time,  when  I  have  paid  as  agreed 
my  obligation  ceases.  So  does  yom'S.  I  would  have 
as  much  right  to.  demand  additional  labor  from  you 
without  fiu'ther  remuneration  as  you  to  ask  me  for  any 
favor  for  past  ser\'ices  rendered.  Perfect  justice  and 
perfect  equality  is  the  true  law  that  should  govern. 
If  a  farmer  sells  his  crop  of  wheat  to  the  miUer  and 
gets  the  price  agi'ced  upon,  the  transaction  ends  with 
the  payment  and  acceptance  of  the  money  according  to 
stii)ulati()n.  What  would  be  thought  of  the  farmer  if 
he  should  then  take  possession  of  the  mill  and  refuse 
to  let  the  o^vuer  occui)y  and  iim  it  unless  he  woidd 
agi-ee  to  pay  the  piice  he,  the  farmer,  shoidd  demand 
for  the  next  crop  of  wheat  he  should  raise  ?  Yet  that 
is  exactly  what  striking  laborers  do  ! 

"  When  a  lodge  or  other  form  of  organized  labor  re- 
solves to  take  life,  or  does  take  bfe,  to  carry  its  ends, 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  21 

it  is  a  murderer ;  when  it  resolves  to  take  possession 
of  property  not  its  own,  and  does  so,  it  is  a  thief  or 
robber;  when  it  destroys  property  in  conducting  its 
operations  on  a  strike,  it  "is  an  incendiary :  and  in 
each  case  should  be  dealt  with  as  such.  These  crimes, 
among  the  worst  known,  labor  organizations  are  this 
day  guilty  of  in  the  strikes  now  pending.  How  can 
laborers  expect  the  people  to  take  sides  with  them 
when  they  are  perpetrating  such  deeds  as  these  ? 

"  I  tell  you,  my  dear  sir,  the  worst  enemies  labor  has 
to-day  are  found  in  its  own  ranks.  They  are  the  vio- 
lent members  of  its  own  organizations,  and  generally 
leaders  of  the  same. 

"When  did  capital  ever  beat  and  maim  or  kill  a 
laborer  to  compel  him  to  do  or  not  to  do  any  work  ? 
It  may  turn  men  off  from  employment,  and  thus  cause 
suffering  and  distress  in  the  workman's  home.  This 
is  harsh  and  cruel  if  avoidable.  But  you  laborers  smite 
and  maim  a  fellow-laborer,  not  only  causing  the  same 
privation  and  suffering  in  his  home  as  in  the  other 
case,  but  a  doctor's  bill  and  great  distress  besides.  With 
such  a  record  how  can  labor  have  the  face  to  ask  for 
favors  ? 

"  You  kill  or  maim  a  '  scab.'  Who  is  a  scab  ?  A 
workman,  frequently  a  better  one  than  many  of  those 
who  persecute  him.  Look  at  the  folly  of  the  thing. 
To-day  the  man  is  a  scab.  To-night  he  enters  a  lodge 
and  becomes  a  member  of  the  union.  To-morrow  he 
is  aU  right,  must  be  protected  and  compelled  to  perse- 
cute his  brother  scab  of  yesterday.  He  is  not  a  whit 
better  in  any  respect  either  as  man  or  workman.  Yet 
he  was  to  be  beaten  or  killed  yesterday,  while  to-day 
he  is  enrolled  among  the  beaters  and  killers.  Can  any- 
thing be  more  ridiculous  or  indefensible  ?    Labor  will 


22  LOOKixr;  within. 

never  he  crowned  queen  antl  rt-ijifu  wliile  lier  subjects 
and  adherents  arc  jt^uilty  of  such  injustice  and  cruelty. 
Becau.se  I  am  a  friend  of  hxbor  and  have  all  my  in- 
terests there,  I  protest  against  these  inicjuitics  perpe- 
trated in  her  name.  She  must  come  with  clean  hands 
and  ])e  i)urged  from  l)lood,  rolibery,  and  ar.son  >)efore 
she  can  be  enthroned  in  the  hearts  of  the  people,  or 
have  dominion  in  her  proper  realm." 

"  You  are  pretty  rough  on  labor." 

"  No,  sir,  not  on  lal)or,  but  on  the  false  labor  leaders, 
who  are  unworthy  to  take  her  sacred  name  on  their 
])rofane  lips.  .  You  know  full  well  that  what  I  have  said 
is  true.  "Will  you  sign  a  declaration  of  personal  inde- 
pendence ?  " 

"  Have  you  done  so  ? " 

"  T  have." 

"  I  will  think  about  it.  You  have  suggested  a  new 
train  of  thought,  and  I  must  have  time  to  consider  be- 
fore acting." 

This  conversation  was  a  revelation  to  me.  No  new 
facts  were  stated,  but  existing  ones  were  placed  in  sucli 
a  striking  pose  as  to  command  attention.  The  silent 
assent  of  the  other  man  was  as  impressive  as  the  words 
of  the  speaker. 

This  scene  from  actual  life  is  given  to  the  reader 
just  as  it  transpired,  "without  note  or  comment." 


CHAPTER  IV„ 

A  LITTLE  out  of  chronological  order,  but  in  harmony 
with  the  thread  of  the  narrative,  the  views  of  some 
farmers  are  now  given,  bearing  upon  the  theme  under 
consideration.  The  events  here  narrated  transpii-ed  in 
the  winter  of  1891,  during  the  session  of  the  legislature 
of  the  State  of  Kansas.  A  member  of  the  House  of 
Representatives,  who  was  also  chairman  of  an  impor- 
tant committee  and  one  of  the  prominent  leaders  in 
that  body,  was  on  his  way  from  Leavenworth  to  Topeka 
traveling  by  rail,  and  occupied  a  seat  just  before  me 
in  the  car.  In  conversation  the  gentleman  by  ins  side 
spoke  of  the  law  of  supply  and  demand.  He  caught 
at  the  words  and  replied  with  scornful  emphasis : 

''  Supply  and  demand  !  Fudge  !  That  has  no  more 
to  do  with  governing  prices  than  I  have  with  causing 
cold  and  ice  at  the  North  Pole.  I  used  to  be  deluded 
by  that  old-fogy  notion ;  but  I  have  got  bravely  over 
it  and  advanced  away  along  beyond  it  out  of  sight.  I 
am  ashamed  of  my  former  folly  and  delusion,  and  will 
not  be  caught  with  such  chaff  again.  No  intelligent 
man  believes  at  this  time  that  supply  and  demand  have 
anjiihing  to  do  in  fixing  prices.  The  gi*eat  combines, 
packing-houses,  and  grain  gamblers  fix  the  prices  of 
aU  commodities,  and  pay  for  each  article  just  what  they 
please  and  sell  it  in  the  same  manner. 

"  We  farmers  are  as  helplessly  in  their  power  as  an  in- 
fant just  born  and  in  the  arms  of  its  nui-se.  We  can  take 

23 


2-t  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

theii-  prices  or  let  our  gi-ain  rot  or  our  other  products 
go  to  the  dugs.  I  am  astonished  that  a  man  of  your 
inteUigence  should  be  so  fai*  behind  the  procession  as 
not  to  know  these  facts,  and  that  the  old  notion  of 
supjily  and  demand  ruling  in  these  affaii'S  has  been 
exploded  and  its  dust  relegated  to  the  owls  and  bats  or 
scattered  to  the  four  winds  of  heaven  long  ago  ! " 

Much  more  was  said  in  the  same  strain  on  this  and 
otlier  topics  introduced.  The  legislator  was  a  loud 
and  profuse  talker,  and  monopolized  nearly  all  the 
time  and  conversation.  But  at  length  the  other  gen- 
tleman found  an  opportunity  and  propounded  this 
question : 

"  Suppose  you  had  five  hundi'ed  good  horses  and  an 
agent  of  the  government  or  some  corporation  should 
come  along  empowered  and  directed  to  buy  five  hun- 
di'ed horses  without  delay.  The  purchase  must  be 
made  at  once.  Yoiu*  horses  were  exactly  the  kind  he 
wanted  and  must  have,  and  there  were  no  other  hoi"ses 
to  be  had  anywhere  in  reach.  Wlio  would  fix  the 
price  for  those  horses  ? " 

The  legislator  had  cut  loose  from  his  first  declara- 
tion b}^  inten^ening  converse,  and  did  not  see  the  drift 
of  the  inquiiy.     He  repHed  without  hesitation  : 

''  I  would,  of  course." 

''  But  suppose  you  had  five  or  ten  neighbors  each  of 
whom  had  five  hundi'ed  horses  as  good  as  yom-s,  and 
anxious  to  sell.     Who  then  would  fix  the  price  ? " 

"  The  purchaser,  most  certainly." 

"Very  well.  Does  not  the  law  of  supply  and  de- 
mand govern  prices  then  ? " 

"  In  that  case,  yes.  But  that  is  an  exception  and  a 
supposition  not  found  in  real  life.  It  does  not  meet 
the  case  at  aU." 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  25 

"  Why  not  ?  To  my  mind  the  illustration  is  apt  and 
fits  the  case  to  a  dot." 

The  legislator  would  not  admit  the  other's  conelu- 
siou  ;  but  the  case  was  so  plain  all  others  saw  it,  and  he 
was  glad  to  shift  the  conversation  into  other  channels. 

Another  member  of  the  same  legislature  on  a  differ- 
ent occasion,  but  similar  in  all  respects,  opened  up  on 
the  money  question,  and  advocated  the  unlimited  issue 
of  UTcdeemable  treasury  notes  tlirectly  to  the  people. 
After  he  had  expatiated  on  his  holiby  for  quite  a  time, 
rehearsing  all  the  sophistries  in  vogue  relative  to  fiat 
money,  an  elderly  gentleman  suggested  as  follows : 

"  I  think  I  can  furnish  a  substitute  for  all  the  pre- 
vailing theories  in  reference  to  the  issue  of  paper  cur- 
rency. My  plan  is  very  simple,  easily  understood,  and 
places  the  whole  matter  in  the  hands  of  the  people, 
where  it  properly  belongs.  We  the  people  are  the  gov- 
ernment in  fact.  Officials  of  all  grades  are  only  our 
servants.  You  say  the  simple  declaration  by  the  gov- 
ernment that  a  piece  of  printed  paper  is  a  dollar  makes 
it  a  dollar.  But  yom"  machinery  for  getting  this  money 
in  circulation  is  clumsy  and  circuitous.  Let  the  gov- 
ernment make  the  plates  for  jnintiug  the  money,  and 
then  fmmish  eveiy  head  of  a  family  with  one  or  more 
of  these  plates,  with  full  certified  authority  to  print  and 
cu'cidate  as  much  of  the  money  as  he  needs  or  desires. 
The  government,  having  full  and  unlimited  authority 
in  the  premises,  can  as  readily  delegate  this  privilege  to 
the  head  of  each  family  as  to  a  bank  or  banknote  en- 
graving company,  or  any  other  citizen  or  officer.  No 
one  is  supposed  to  know  as  well  as  the  individual  him- 
self how  much  money  he  needs,  and  by  this  simple 
process  every  one  can  have  enough.  The  more  money 
in  circulation  the  better  the  times.   Do  you  not  see  at  a 


2G  LOOKING  AMTHIN. 

glance  the  simplicity  of  this  method,  and  its  complete 
adaptation  to  the  wants  of  eveiy  household  in  the  land  ? 
No  more  financial  distress.  All  suffering  from  this 
cause  banished  forever !  " 

This  was  clearly  presented  as  a  Ijluff,  as  could  be  seen 
by  the  twinkle  in  the  gentleman's  eye ;  but  to  his  sur- 
prise the  legislator  replied : 

"  By  the  holy  spoons,  that  is  a  bully  idea !  It  is  the 
best  scheme  yet  suggested.  You  must  be  one  of  our 
leaders  in  the  backgi-ound.  You  can  go  to  the  head  of 
the  heap.  By  the  way,  why  have  you  not  published 
your  financial  plan  ?  It  beats  Peffer's  '  Way  Out '  all 
hollow.     Publish  it  l)y  all  means.     It's  the  very  thing." 

''  Oh,  I  am  too  bashfid  to  do  that,"  said  the  old  gentle- 
man, e\idently  astonished  at  the  reception  by  the  other 
of  his  fantastical  theory. 

Another  farmer  opened  the  vials  of  his  \\Tath  and 
poui'ed  out  their  contents  upon  capitalists,  combines, 
trusts,  plutocrats,  and  pretty  much  all  things  under 
heaven,  except  himself  and  his  associates.  He  declared 
they  were  going  to  have  the  most  radical  changes,  a 
complete  revolution  in  the  existing  order  of  things. 
They  had  been  downtrodden  too  long  already  and  now 
would  have  their  rights — "  by  ballots  if  they  could,  b}' 
bullets  if  they  must." 

"  What  are  j^our  rights  ? "  inquired  a  quiet  gentleman 
who  had  been  listening  to  his  bitter  tirade. 

'•  Why,  sir,  we  farmers  produce  nearly  all  the  wealth 
of  the  countiy,  and  j^et  we  are  ground  to  the  earth. 
Our  lands  are  mortgaged.  We  get  next  to  nothing  for 
our  crops  and  stock,  and  are  gi-owing  poorer  every  year 
with  all  our  hard  work,  while  the  rich  combines  and 
plutocrats  that  plunder  us  are  growing  richer  aU  the 
time.     They  accumulate  vast  fortunes,  are  getting  hold 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  27 

of  all  the  wealth  of  the  land,  and  using  it  to  crush  out 
all  that  opposes  them.  They  will  soon  own  everything 
and  aU  the  people  will  be  their  slaves.  The  only  hope 
we  have  is  in  revolution." 

"  What  sort  of  a  revolution  do  you  propose  to  carry 
out?" 

"  One  that  will  equalize  things,  especially  the  wealth 
of  the  country." 

"I  see.  You  say  you  are  plundered.  Who  robs 
you  ? " 

"  Middlemen  and  combines." 

"  Who  are  middlemen  ? " 

''The  men  who  simply  handle  our  produce,  charge 
enormously  for  doing  it,  but  never  produce  an  atom  of 
anytliing." 

"If  I  understand  you,  the  middlemen  are  the  ones 
who  come  between  you  and  yoiu*  consumers." 

''  That's  it  exactly." 

"There  must  be  quite  a  number  of  these.  Let  us 
look  after  them  a  moment.  We  will  say  you  have  a 
hundred  acres  of  wheat.  You  cultivate  and  produce 
the  wheat.  When  it  is  ripe  production  ceases  and 
conversion  begins.  The  crop  ripe  in  the  field  is  the 
raw  material,  and  you  are  now  to  get  it  in  shape  for 
your  customers.  The  first  thing  to  be  done  is  to  har- 
vest the  grain.  Here  comes  in  the  fii'st  set  of  middle- 
men, and  there  is  quite  a  number  of  them.  The  next 
are  the  threshers,  and  there  are  numbers  of  them  also, 
aU  middlemen.  Then  there  are  the  machines,  which 
add  to  the  expense ;  they  are  the  same  as  middlemen. 
Then  you  must  hire  men  to  haul  the  grain  to  the  rail- 
road or  elevator;  these,  too,  are  middlemen.  Then 
the  railway  transports  the  grain  to  market,  and  the 
train  hands  are  another  lot  of  middlemen.     Last  of  all 


28  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

you  come  to  the  commission  man  or  other  pm'chaser, 
and  he  is  the  final  middleman,  and,  as  I  gather  from 
youi"  talk,  the  only  one  of  whom  yon  complain.  But 
the  reapers,  the  threshers,  the  haulers,  and  the  train- 
men ai-e  at  least  twenty  while  the  last  is  one  by  him- 
self. Wliy  do  you  get  angi-y  at  Mm  and  not  at  the 
others  ? " 

"  The  others  are  laborers," 

"  So  may  he  be  a  laborer.  If  he  is  not  industrious 
he  vnll  speedily  come  to  want.  But  not  one  of  these 
middlemen,  from  the  harvest  field  to  the  final  market, 
is  a  producer ;  they  are  simply  transmitters  or  manu- 
facturers. You  i)ay  the  fiivst  three  classes  out  of  your 
oA\ai  pocket  dii*eet.  The  trainmen  are  paid  by  the  rail- 
way company,  but  their  wages  for  the  work  is  charged 
up  to  your  wheat  in  price  of  transportation.  Ai'e  you 
going  to  blot  out  all  these  middlemen  and  let  youi* 
wheat  rot  in  the  field  ? " 

''  Wliy,  no,  of  coiu'se  not." 

''In  your  revolution  what  is  to  be  done  with  the 
middlemen  ? " 

''  I  had  not  thought  of  the  matter  as  you  present  it." 

"  I  presume  not.  I  used  to  talk  just  as  you  do ;  but 
when  I  came  to  analyze  the  matter  I  learned  my  mis- 
take. Middlemen  are  as  essential  to  oiu*  success  on 
a  farm  as  the  labor  that  produces  the  crop.  I  have 
found  other  things  to  be  true  which  I  did  not  take  into 
account  formerly.  Suppose  all  the  middlemen  who 
assist  in  getting  my  crop  to  market  do  nothing  but 
this  kind  of  work — are  strictly  day  laborers.  Then 
good  prices  for  me  means  high  or  expensive  living  for 
them.  There  are  tAventy  of  them  and  one  of  me.  Their 
families  and  mine  may  nuike  an  offset.  My  selfishness 
prompts  me  to  wisli  the  liighest  possible  price  for  my 


LOOKING   WITPIIN.  29 

grain  at  the  expense  of  tliese  twenty  men.  Would  not 
a  philanthropic  and  brotherly  feeling  wish  well  to  these 
men,  so  manifold  more  in  number  than  myself,  and 
cause  me  to  be  willing  to  receive  less  that  they  might 
get  more  ?  We  do  not  think  and  act  in  that  manner. 
We  are  all  for  self.  You  are  going  to  revolutionize 
society  and  the  world  to  secm*e  profit  to  yourself,  and 
care  nothing  for  the  twenty  you  cause  to  suffer.  Ai'e 
you  not  desperately  selfish  ? " 

"  If  I  am  desperately  selfish  I  know  I  am  greatly  in 
need  and  want  relief ;  and  I  must  have  it." 

^'  That  cry  comes  up  from  all  classes.  The  burden 
you  would  throw  off  must  fall  upon  aU  youi*  consumers. 
If  they  were  all  rich  it  would  be  well ;  but  as  there  are 
ten  thousand  poor  ones  to  one  that  is  rich,  your  advan- 
tage is  the  misfortune  of  tliese  thousands.  Society  is 
so  interwoven  in  its  intricate  relations,  part  with  part, 
it  cannot  be  separated.  Every  farmer  is  a  capitahst, 
and  also  a  laborer.  The  same  is  true  of  mechanics 
who  employ  hands.  High  wages  to  workmen  is  com- 
fort to  millions;  but  the  consumers  of  the  products 
of  their  toil  pay  these  wages.  You  pay  the  wages  of 
the  men  who  construct  the  machinery  you  use  on  the 
farm.  They  in  tiu'u  pay  for  your  grain  and  produce, 
including  the  wages  you  pay  all  the  middlemen.  In 
your  revolution  are  you  going  to  blot  out  the  wages  of 
manufacturing  laborers  and  give  all  to  farmers  1  Ai-e 
farmers  to  be  the  plutocrats  in  the  new  order  of  things  ? 
How  are  you  going  to  reconcile  the  antagonistic  inter- 
ests of  farmers  and  laborers  in  other  departments  of 
enterprise  ?  The  revolution  you  need  is  more  custom- 
ers as  near  to  yoiu-  farm  as  you  can  get  them.  If  your 
market  was  by  the  side  of  your  farm,  what  an  amount 
of  expense  you  would  save  and  add  to  the  profit  of 


30  LOOKING   WITfflN. 

your  crop.  A.s  you  pay  for  getting  your  produce  to  its 
dcstiuation,  every  mile  of  distance  saved  is  clear  gaiu. 
Does  your  revolution  contemplate  bringing  you  and 
your  customers  nearer  together  and  increasing  theii* 
numlier  ? " 

*'  To  be  candid,  I  had  not  thought  of  that.  But  if 
the  government  Avould  own  and  operate  the  railroads, 
freights  Avoidd  be  reduced." 

''  That  is  doubtf id.  Government  usually  pays  more 
for  work  than  private  persons  or  firms.  This  is  a  weU- 
knoA\^l  fact.  Kuuning  railroads  would  not  be  likely  to 
prove  an  exception  to  the  ride." 

The  foregoing  is  given  without  note  or  comment  just 
as  the  conversations  took  place.  It  shows  the  want  of 
consideration  on  the  part  of  those  who  cry  loudest  for 
reform  or  change. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Shortly  after  this  I  met  a  very  intelligent  gentle- 
man, whose  broad  views  and  wide  range  of  inforjnation 
drew  my  attention.  Being  deeply  interested  in  the 
subject,  I  requested  his  opinion  of  a  labor  strike  then 
in  progress.  After  he  had  given  his  views  upon  that 
particular  strike  and  strikes  in  general,  which  were  not 
favoral)le,  he  remarked : 

"I  do  not  see  how  it  is  possible  for  any  Christian  to 
be  a  member  of  the  labor  unions  as  now  constituted." 

To  this  I  expressed  my  utter  astonishment  and  said  : 

"  I  thought  every  organization  expressly  guaranteed 
to  each  candidate  that  membership  therein  will  in  no 
manner  interfere  with  his  rehgious  or  political  \dews 
or  principles,  be  these  what  they  may." 

"  That  is  true.  Such  assurance  is  given.  I  speak 
from  experience.  It  is  carried  out  so  far  as  belonging 
to  any  particular  branch  of  the  church  is  concerned. 
Perfect  Uberty  is  fully  accorded  and  recognized  in  this 
matter,  and  no  one  is  questioned  in  reference  to  his 
church  relations.  He  can  attend  all  the  services  with- 
out the  slightest  hindrance  or  molestation.  His  polit- 
ical rights  are  also  resi^ected.  He  is  not  required  to 
vote  for  this  party  or  that.  Sometimes,  however,  a 
strong  pressure  is  brought  to  bear  upon  members  to 
induce  them  to  vote  this  way  or  that ;  but  it  always 
stops  with  pressure  and  never  extends  to  compulsion. 
The  evil  lies  deeper  than  the  sm-face.  It  strikes  at  the 
root  of  the  matter. 

31 


32  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

"Tlic*  oltligation  that  follows  this  assurance  of  lib- 
vvty,  which  evciy  person  is  required  to  take  when  ini- 
tiated int(j  the  order,  compels  him  to  ohey  the  orders  of 
those  in  atdhoritij.  ^Vll  executive  authority  is  vested  iu 
the  heads  of  the  lodges  and  of  the  order.  When  these 
issue  the  command  every  member  is  bound  by  liis  oath 
to  obey,  whether  he  thinks  obedience  right  or  wi-ong. 
lie  has  deprived  himself  of  the  right  of  choice,  and  is 
a  bondslave  to  the  order.  We  are  frequently  required 
to  do  things  that  I  know  to  be  wrong,  such  as  the  tak- 
ing possession  of  property  which  does  not  belong  to 
us  5  sometimes  to  destroy  this  pi'operty  or  gi-eatly 
damage  it.  This  to  me  is  theft  or  robbery.  Yet  I  am 
tied  hand  and  foot,  and  cannot  help  myself.  I  am 
aware  that  men  try  to  disguise  the  real  facts  and  cover 
the  crime  hy  the  sophism  that  the  property  is  the 
product  of  labor,  and  therefore  of  right  belongs  to  the 
laborers,  at  least  in  part,  and  that  they  are  only  taking- 
possession  of  and  nsing  what  in  ecpiity  they  are  entitled 
to  as  tluir  own.  If  that  be  true,  my  neighbor's  house 
Avhich  I  helped  to  build  is  partly  or  wholly  mine.  I 
have  the  right  to  dispossess  liim  and  occupy  the  place 
myself.  The  man  who  made  his  carriage  has  the  right 
to  take  and  use  it  at  pleasure.  Indeed,  there  is  no  end 
to  tlie  right  of  labor  to  seize  upon  and  possess  all  things 
under  the  sun  constructed  by  human  hands.  This  is 
only  another  name  for  auarehy  and  communism. 

"  I  seU  my  labor  for  the  best  price  I  can  obtain  for 
it.  "WHien  I  have  performed  my  work  and  received  the 
pay  according  to  contract,  it  is  the  final  end  of  that 
transaction  on  the  side  of  both  parties  to  it,  the  same 
as  the  purchase  and  sale  of  any  other  commodity. 

"I  conscientiously  regard  aU  forcible  occupation, 
misuse  or  abuse  or  destruction  of  the  property  of  an- 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  33 

other  by  me,  even  if  that  other  be  my  employer  and 
my  labor  has  contributed  to  enhance  the  value  of 
his  possessions,  to  be  utterly  wi'ong  and  criminal,  and 
without  excuse  or  defense.  All  the  sophistry  about 
my  equitable  right  in  that  property  is  too  thin  to  make 
a  sliadcjw.  I  liave  already  received  the  equivalent  for 
my  labor  according  to  my  own  terms.  Yet  I  am 
ordered  to  do  these  very  acts,  which,  when  brouglit  to 
the  bar  of  my  own  reason,  jiidgment,  and  conscience, 
I  am  compelled  to  adjudge  indeiensil)ly  wrong.  Tlien 
comes  thundering  down  upon  my  defenseless  soul  tlie 
command  of  God  :  '  Thou  shalt  not  steal !  Thou  shalt 
do  no  wrong  to  thy  neighbor ! ' 

"Again,  I  am  ordered  to  abuse  a  'scab';  to  treat 
him  as  an  enemy ;  to  diive  him  from  work ;  to  l^eat 
and  maim  him ;  if  necessary,  to  banish  Mm.  That 
scab  may  be  my  brother,  my  own  mother's  son.  He 
may  also  be  a  In-other  in  Christ,  a  member  of  the  same 
church  with  myself.  We  may  sit  in  the  same  pew, 
kneel  at  the  same  altar,  and  partake  of  the  Holy  Com- 
numion  together  on  the  Sabbath.  On  Monday  morn- 
ing I  nnist  drive  that  brother  from  the  work  he  needs 
to  feed  and  clothe  his  family.  I  know  this  to  be  the 
fact.  I  know,  too,  that  he  is  a  skillful  workman,  fully 
equal  to  myself  in  all  respects,  painstaking  and  con- 
scientious in  all  he  does.  But  he  is  a  scab,  and  must 
be  persecuted  ;  and  I  am  commanded  to  make  war  upon 
him  and  prevent  him  from  maintaining  his  family,  who 
will  by  my  act  be  brought  to  piivation  and  suffering. 
This  is  man's  side  of  the  transaction  as  demanded  of 
me  by  the  organization  of  which  I  am  a  member. 

"  Then  from  the  Godward  side  of  my  responsibility 
comes  these  words :  '  Whatsoever  ye  would  that  men 
should  do  unto  you,  do  ye  even  so  unto  them ;  for  this 


34  LOOICTXG   WITHIN. 

is  the  law  and  tlie  prophets.'  '  Love  thy  neighhor  as 
thyself.'  'Do  good  unto  all  men.'  Here  are  the  two 
coinniands,  one  from  the  head  of  the  order,  the  other 
from  the  Head  of  the  universe.    Wliicli  must  I  obey  1 

"  When  a  man  is  thus  brought  face  to  face  with  duty 
he  dare  not  hesitate.  I  did  not.  You  must  know  this 
is  no  fancy  picture  or  idle  tale.  It  is  an  absolutely 
truthful  sketch  from  real  life.  That  scab  was  my 
])rotliei-,  my  mother's  son.  He  was  my  spiritual  brother 
also,  and  every  word  I  have  spoken  tells  of  actual 
events.  No  language  can  express  the  emotions  which 
I  exjierienced.  I  felt  as  never  before  the  wonderful 
force  of  the  words  of  the  Master :  '  No  man  can  serve 
two  masters :  for  either  he  will  hate  the  one,  and  love 
the  other ;  or  else  he  will  liold  to  the  one,  and  despise 
the  other.  Ye  cannot  serve  God  and  mammon.'  I 
cliose  to  serve  God.  I  could  do  no  other.  Are  you 
surprised  au}^  longer  at  the  statement  I  made  at  the 
outset  ?  " 

"No,  not  at  the  statement,  but  more  than  I  can  ex- 
press at  the  history  3-011  have  unfolded." 

"■  I  will  say  more.  I  liave  never  heard  as  much  pro- 
fanity and  blasi)hem3'  anywhere  as  among  lal)oi--uuion 
men  when  excited.  Many  of  them  are  foreign  born, 
the  lower  strata  of  society  from  Europe.  They  have 
little  education,  and  no  religious  training  worthy  the 
name.  Hence  there  is  little  restraint.  When  they  get 
angry,  excited,  maddened  by  liquor,  no  utterance  is  too 
vile  or  too  profane  for  tlicin  to  use.  A  refined  Chris- 
tian man  is  constantly  shocked  and  outraged  in  feeling 
by  these  associations  and  what  he  is  compelled  to  hear." 

"All  this  is  bewild(M-ing  to  me.  If  what  you  say  of 
these  labor  organizatit)Us  is  true,  from  that  side  of  \dew 
they  are  terrible  things." 


LOOiaNG  WITHIN.  35 

"  Some  men  may  look  at  tliem  differently.  I  pre- 
sume tliey  do.  It  is  possible  that  persons  constituted 
differently  from  me  can  be  Christians  and  retain  mem- 
bership in  them.  I  cannot.  Nor  do  I  see  how  any  one 
can.  Yet  I  am  not  judge  of  my  brother  nor  keeper  of 
his  conscience.     To  his  own  Master  he  stands  or  falls. 

''  At  times,  when  commotion  was  liigh,  when  passion 
ruled  the  hour,  when  riot  and  murder  were  freely  dis- 
cussed by  hundreds  of  frenzied  men,  I  have  felt  as  if 
the  foundations  were  sHpping  from  under  me  and  only 
a  slip  of  solid  ground  were  left  between  me  and  chaos, 
and  that  were  shaking  as  if  a  volcano  were  beneath 
ready  to  bm"st  forth  and  rend  it.  At  such  times  I  have 
trembled  for  a  moment  at  the  prospect  of  the  possible 
contingencies  that  spread  like  the  pall  of  death  before 
me.  But  I  remeuibered  that  One  was  looking  on  who 
could  still  the  tempest,  even  of  men's  passions ;  that 
not  a  sparrow  falls  without  Him;  and  there  I  coidd 
rest. 

"  There  is  a  peculiarity  about  the  mode  of  checking 
the  brutal  element  in  the  order,  always  ready  for  law- 
lessness, which  I  could  but  notice.  It  is  this :  the  cool 
heads  try  to  cm*b  the  radicals  and  hold  them  in  check, 
knowing  that  excesses  "will  do  harm  and  damage  their 
cause.  But  they  always  aj^peal  to  the  heads  on  the 
ground  of  pollci/,  never  as  a  matter  of  principle.  They 
do  not  say  to  those  riotously  disposed,  '  That  is  wrong 
and  criminal,'  but  always,  '  That  will  not  do ;  it  will 
hurt  us,  and  make  us  enemies.'  Wliether  this  method 
of  appeal  is  the  only  one  that  can  influence  the  men, 
or  whether  the  leaders  themselves  have  no  higher  con- 
ception of  right  and  wxoug,  and  no  loftier  measure  of 
action  than  that  of  policy,  I  am  unalde  to  say.  I  state 
the  fact  as  I  find  it.     My  experience  and  observation 


36  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

lead  me  to  conclude  that  with  some  of  the  leaders  and 
a  lar<?e  i^ropoi-tion  of  the  men  this  is  the  only  gauge  by 
which  conduct  is  measured." 

"Have  not  good  reasons  been  given  for  some 
strikes  ? " 

"  Read  carefully  the  history  of  every  one  in  this 
count i-y.  If  you  find  one  that  can  be  justified  in  all 
its  dcii lands,  or  in  the  lengths  to  which  it  has  been 
carried,  I  shall  be  gi'catly  pleased  to  have  you  call  my 
attention  to  it.  I  have  never  yet  been  able  to  find  a 
single  one  tluit  coidd  be  justified  from  fii'st  to  last  in 
all  it  asked  or  all  it  did.  For  most  of  them  there  is 
no  justification  whatever.  They  are  often  criminal  and 
cruel." 

"  Then  you  think  these  labor  nnions  will  not  succeed 
as  now  constituted  and  directed  1 " 

''  If  such  methods  succeed  it  wiU  be  the  success  of 
disaster.  Theii-  oppression,  crime,  and  inhumanity  can- 
not meet  the  approbation  of  either  God  or  good  men. 
Without  such  approval  no  cause  can  righteously  prevail. 
And  there  is  a  side  in  which  the  cause  of  labor  is  right 
and  just  and  shoidd  triumph  over  all  opposition." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Having  been  favored  by  bearing  from  farmers  and 
laborers,  I  determined  to  visit  a  capitabst  and  learn  his 
views  of  tbe  situation.  I  sought  an  interview  with  the 
head  of  a  large  manufacturing  establishment  and  stated 
to  him  my  desire  for  information.     He  repbed : 

"  I  do  not  feel  competent  to  give  any  one  much  light 
on  this  vexed  question.  It  is  one  simple  enough  in 
itself,  but  it  has  been  so  distorted  and  overwhelmed 
with  extraneous  matter  that  it  is  now  a  tangled  web 
which  the  wisest  seem  unable  to  unravel.  The  funda- 
mental principles  of  poHtical  economy  are  few  and 
simple,  but  when  compbcated  with  a  thousand  consid- 
erations of  policy  they  become  intricate  and  give  rise 
to  a  multitude  of  divergent  opinions. 

"  If  demagogues,  politicians,  and  agitators  were  ban- 
ished from  the  arena  on  which  this  labor  problem  is 
being  worked  out,  there  would  be  no  difficulty  between 
employers  and  employees.  No  employer  wishes  to  part 
with  the  workmen  who  understand  aU  the  details  of 
his  business  better  than  new  hands  possibly  could,  even 
if  equally  skiUful,  and  for  this  reason  can  do  him  better 
and  more  satisfactory  service.  I  never  part  with  one 
of  my  men  except  with  regret.  I  prefer  always  to  keep 
the  men  I  know  and  who  know  me,  and  are  famibar 
with  the  methods  of  our  business.  The  loss  of  a  good 
hand  is  always  a  misfortune,  and  is  never  desired  on 
the  part  of  the  employer." 

37 


38  LOOKIXf;    \VITIIIN. 

"  I  know  that  is  a  fact  from  my  own  experience,"  I 
said.  "I  emi)loy  laborers  and  never  part  with  one 
except  for  cause,  and  tlien  with  regret." 

"That  is  the  experience  of  all  employers.  If  our 
men  have  a  gi-ievance  I  am  always  giad  to  hear  and 
i-emedy  it  if  I  can.  With  a  few  exceptions  the  labor 
organizations  are  controlled  by  a  single  head  man,  or 
an  executive  committee,  and  these,  with  the  walking- 
delegates,  constitute  the  executive  force  and  control 
the  action  of  local  unions  and  on  a  wider  scale  of  the 
whole  oi-d(>r.  It  is  these  head  men  who  cause  nine 
tenths  of  all  the  trouble  between  capital  and  labor. 
When  lal)orers  become  more  intelligent  and  thor- 
oughly Americanized  they  will  no  longer  submit  to 
this  worse  than  kingly  rule,  and  will  adopt  the  'ma- 
jority-shall-rule'  policy,  wdtli  reserved  i-ights  of  con- 
science and  independent  manhood  for  the  minority. 
One  or  two  organizations  have  adopted  this  idea  al- 
ready in  part,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  all  others  will 
follow  the  example  thus  set  speedily,  and  more  per- 
fectly cany  out  the  principle  involved.  The  leaders 
will  doubtless  make  a  desperate  effort  to  maintain  and 
retain  power,  but  certainly  manhood  and  freedom  will 
conquer  in  the  end. 

"  You  hear  the  agitators  constantly  contending  that 
the  employers  ought  to  divide  tlieir  immense  pi-ofits 
with  employees.  There  is  prol)ably  no  subject  upon 
which  there  is  more  ignorance  and  misapprehension 
than  this  one  of  the  vast  profits  of  manufacturers.  It 
is  a  myth,  a  complete  fiction,  a  cry  of  demagogues  to 
create  sympathy  on  the  one  hand  and  prejudice  on  the 
other.  There  are  workmen  in  our  employ,  and  in 
every  other  establishment  of  any  considerable  magni- 
tude, Avhose  profits  on  investments  are  fivefold  greater 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  39 

than  those  of  tJieir  employers.  Tlieii-  capital  is  tlieii" 
skill.  It  lias  cost  them  something  to  become  skillful 
workmen,  but  they  have  earned  good  wages  all  the 
way  from  jom'neymen  to  the  higher  places,  and  so  the 
expense  of  acquiring  present  attainments  has  been  of 
the  minimum  order.  Our  best  men  get  eighteen  dol- 
lars a  day.  Allowing  thirteen  days  for  holidays,  etc., 
they  receive  for  the  remaining  three  hundred  working 
days  five  thousand  four  hundred  dollars  per  year — 
more  than  the  best  farmer  can  make  clear  on  the  best 
half  section  of  land ;  more  than  a  majority  of  profes- 
sional men,  lawyers,  teachers,  etc.,  make,  and  more 
than  the  salary  of  a  member  of  Congress.  This  is 
made  without  a  cent  of  money  invested,  without  anx- 
iety or  care,  and  is  clear  cash.  The  lowest  price  we 
pay  inferior  workmen  is  two  dollars  a  day,  or  six  hun- 
dred dollars  per  year  of  tliree  hundred  days. 

"  Now  if  it  is  right  for  the  employer  to  divide  his 
earnings  with  the  workmen,  is  it  not  equally  as  just 
and  right  for  these  men  who  get  over  five  thousand 
dollars  a  year  to  divide  with  then-  less  fortunate  breth- 
ren, who  get  but  six  hmidred  a  year?  Is  there  not  as 
much  reason,  hmnanity,  and  righteousness  in  the  one 
proposition  as  in  the  other  ?  But  who  ever  heard  of 
these  princely  wage-earners  dividing  with  the  small 
earners  their  immense  increase?  That  is  a  horse  of 
another  color.  The  fortunate  laborer  can  put  his  m  oney 
out  at  six  to  ten  per  cent,  interest,  or  invest  it  in 
mortgage  securities,  and  not  a  word  is  said.  But  let 
Ids  employer  do  the  same  thing  and  he  is  set  upon  by 
the  whole  pack  of  agitators  as  a  pack  of  dogs  after  the 
quarry.  We  find  so  much  more  profita])le  use  for  om* 
money  in  making  improvements  in  our  plant  that  not 
a  doUar  is  loaned  out  on  secuiity  at  interest.     Om*  em- 


40  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

ployees  have  thousands  at  interest.  I  presume  the 
same  is  true  of  every  other  manufacturing  institution. 
It  is  the  well-to-do  laboring  men  and  not  the  capital- 
ists as  a  rule  who  loan  money  at  interest.  These  facts 
are  either  not  knoAvn  or  are  ignored  by  agitators  and 
the  i)eople  at  large. 

"  The  facts  show  that  capital  invested  in  manufact- 
uring does  not  yield  a  net  retm-n  of  over  six  per  cent. 
per  annum.  It  is  a  little  less  than  that  in  Massachu- 
setts. In  Connecticut  it  is  a  trifle  over,  not  counting 
the  time  of  owners ;  counting  all  expenses,  not  more. 
Samuel  M.  Hotchkiss,  State  commissioner  of  labor  for 
Connecticut,  in  his  report  recently  made  gives  the  sta- 
tistics of  eiglity-five  estal)lishments  with  an  aggregate 
capital  of  $49,112,149.58.  The  net  profits  for  the  year 
were  $3,297,861.99.  They  employed  27,094  laborers 
and  1446  superintendents.  Lalwrers  were  paid  for  the 
year  $12,032,412.95,  superintendents  $1,191,255.54  ;  or 
a  total  of  $13,223,685.43,  which  is  more  than  four  times 
the  amount  of  profits  earned.  In  other  words,  labor 
received  more  than  four  dollars  for  ever}'  one  dollar 
earned  by  capital  in  this  State.  It  is  but  fail*  to  say 
that  labor  every  year  makes  more  mone}'  than  capital 
four  times  over  in  the  department  of  manufactm'ing, 
take  the  United  States  as  a  whole. 

"  There  are  some  employ ei'S,  doubtless,  who  are  cruel 
and  oppressive  and  utterly  selfish ;  but  as  a  body  they 
are  enlightened  and  humane  citizens,  quite  as  much  en- 
titled to  pulilic  sympathy  as  their  workmen,  either  on 
the  gi'ound  of  justice,  benevolence,  or  good  citizenship. 
As  a  rule  they  do  not  act  the  tjTant,  but  are  anxious 
to  see  their  men  prosper  and  ready  to  aid  them  in 
every  way,  with  counsel,  sjinpathy,  and  in  all  material 
things.     They  are,  as  a  class,  no  better  and  no  worse 


LOOKING   WITHIN.  41 

than  other  members  of  society  of  like  intelligence  who 
are  engaged  in  lawful  and  laudable  pursuits. 

"  It  is  only  because  there  are  hundreds  of  laborers 
to  each  cai^talist,  and  therefore  more  votes  to  secure 
from  their  ranks,  that  demagogues  take  sides  with 
them  against  their  employers.  There  are  good  men 
among  all  classes,  and  bad  men  also.  Let  equal  and 
exact  justice  be  meted  out  to  all  and  there  will  soon  be 
an  end  to  agitation  in  this  dii-ection." 


CHAPTER  VII. 

I  FINISHED  my  studies  in  both  college  and  university, 
passed  a  flrst-j;Tade  examination  and  received  the  hon- 
ors from  both  institutions.  During-  vacations  I  alwa}  s 
came  home.  I  in(|uired  of  my  mother  about  Effie  on 
each  occasion.  She  was  away  at  school.  This  was  to 
me  a  disappointment.  I  had  hoped  to  see  her.  In  the 
midst  of  society  where  beauty  reigned  her  face  came 
to  me  as  I  had  often  seen  it  during  our  acquaintance 
or  at  the  hour  of  parting.  Others  charmed  for  a  mo- 
ment, but  the  instant  I  was  alone  her  sweet  counte- 
nance was  before  me.  Often  even  in  the  midst  of  ex- 
citement I  could  see  those  meUow  eyes  looking  into 
mine. 

Wlien  I  returned  fi-om  school  after  final  graduation 
I  learned  that  her  father,  having  greatly  pi-ospered  in 
business,  had  built  an  elegant  residence  in  another 
part  of  the  city,  on  a  beautiful  location.  The  daughter 
was  still  absent.  There  being  nothing  to  keep  me  at 
home,  I  spent  some  months  travehng  over  the  country 
for  the  purpose  of  gaining  information  by  personal  ob- 
servation upon  questions  agitating  the  public  mind. 

About  this  time  my  parents,  returning  home  from 
an  excursion,  were  both  fatally  injured  by  a  railway 
accident  and  were  brought  home  to  die.  I  remained 
with  them  day  and  night  until  they  were  released  from 
suffering.  They  were  bm-ied  side  by  side  in  the  same 
grave. 

42 


LOOKING  \nTHIN.  43 

Oh,  the  desolation  of  home  when  I  retm'ned  from 
the  funeral !  My  father  was  the  best  of  parents.  My 
mother  had  been  to  me  as  an  angel  from  heaven.  She 
had  entered  into  all  my  plans  and  sympathies,  soothed 
all  my  sorrows  in  childhood  and  youth,  and  in  riper 
years  was  a  bosom  companion.  She  was  to  me  both 
mother  and  sister.  Every  young  man  needs  a  sister 
to  advise  him,  to  smooth  off  the  rough  corners  and 
polish  him  generally.  My  mother  did  this  for  me  as 
deftly  as  any  sister  could.  She  romped  and  played 
with  me  in  early  life ;  in  later  years  entered  into  all 
my  higher  aspirations  and  met  the  needs  of  the  horn-. 
I  had  no  secrets  from  her.  She  learned  my  feeling 
toward  Effie  and  was  pleased.  Her  touch  sanctified 
ever^^thing  in  the  house  and  beautified  all  its  surround- 
ings. And  now  she  was  gone  !  No  more  her  soft  and 
loving  hand  should  rest  upon  my  brow  !  How  cold  to 
my  touch !  No  more  her  tender  voice  would  reach  my 
ear  !  Turn  which  way  I  would,  I  met  something  that 
spoke  of  her.  Her  face  shone  out  from  the  pictui'es 
on  the  wall,  from  every  adornment,  from  every  room. 
I  seemed  to  hear  her  step,  only  to  remember  I  should 
never  hear  it  again.  The  silence  was  unbearable. 
Company  I  could  not  endure.  I  must  get  away.  To 
remain  in  that  silent  and  deserted  home  was  a  Ijurden 
too  heavy  to  bear.     I  went  to  Europe. 

I  visited  all  the  principal  cities;  saw  all  the  re- 
nowned places;  went  into  society;  was  presented  at 
various  courts;  accompanied  parties  of  pleasure  and 
adventure — nothing  was  left  undone  to  didl  and  deaden 
the  pain  which  pressed  Hke  a  weight  upon  my  heart. 
Success  was  only  partial.  In  the  midst  of  hilarit}^  a 
face,  a  voice,  an  act  of  tenderness — something  woidd 
recall  my  mother  to  me.     Then  I  wished  to  go  away 


44  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

and  weep.  This  may  liave  been  a  weakness ;  bnt  for 
such  a  mother  I  was  not  ashamed  to  feel  emotion. 

For  a  time  I  eouki  not  endm-e  the  thought  of  re- 
turning to  my  desohxte  liome.  I  remained  away  tliree 
years.  Then  there  came  a  longhig  to  see  my  native 
phice  and  stand  by  the  grave  of  my  beloved  parents. 
Amid  all  these  years  there  had  ever  and  anon  ap- 
peared to  me  the  face  of  Efifie.  In  the  most  unlike 
places  and  times — in  hours  of  peril,  in  moments  of 
silence  or  excitement,  alone  or  in  company,  in  public 
halls,  in  the  still  hours  of  night — that  sweet  and  ear- 
nest face  came  up  before  me.  Why,  I  could  not  tell. 
Now  that  my  thoughts  tm*ned  homeward  the  greatest 
attraction  in  my  native  land  was  that  well-remembered 
face  and  form. 

A  moment's  reflection  told  me  tliat  she  was  no 
longer  a  child,  but  a  wonum  grown.  Had  she  forgot- 
ten me?  Was  she  married?  Should  I  ever  see  her 
again?  Sober  consideration  led  me  to  doubt  on  all 
these  points.  For  all  that,  she  was  the  one  magnet 
among  the  living  to  di-aw  me  westward. 

On  reaching  home  the  overwhelming  sense  of  my 
loss  came  back  upon  me  with  crushiug  force :  no  smil- 
ing face  to  cheer  J  no  welcome  word;  no  kiss  of  love; 
no  sweet  embrace.  Dear  memories  and  precious  tokens 
made  the  place  so  dark  and  di'carv.  I  had  to  escape 
from  its  once  dear  associations  or  break  down  utterly. 

I  went  into  the  city.  Everything  seemed  cold  and 
icy,  and  yet  it  was  a  warm  day  in  early  September.  I 
went  up  one  street  and  down  another,  to  ascertain  if 
familiar  objects  would  gain  some  hold  upon  my  mind 
and  lead  me  out  of  myself.  It  was  little  better  than 
passing  through  a  cemetery.  I  stood  by  the  grave  of 
my  parents.     It  was  too  nuich.    Memory  called  up  the 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  45 

past  in  all  its  sweetness  and  sadness,  until  I  had  to  flee 
from  the  spot  where  reposed  theu'  sleeping  dust. 

As  I  passed  along  one  of  the  streets  on  my  return 
from  the  sad  pilgrimage  to  the  dead  I  met  Efiie's 
father.  With  pressing  cordiahty  he  took  me  to  his 
home.  I  was  then  introduced  to  his  daughter  as  one 
of  my  old  schoolmates. 

Such  a  vision  of  loveliness  !  It  was  joerfeetion  !  I 
had  seen  the  celebrated  beauties  of  Europe  and  Amer- 
ica ;  none  of  them  could  compare  with  tliis  peerless  but 
unaffected  being. 

But  where  was  my  little  giil  ?  Gone  forever !  I  was 
so  completely  suri:)rised  and  captivated  by  the  exquisite 
loveliness  and  perfection  of  face  and  form  that  I  fear  I 
did  not  act  well  my  j)art.  With  ready  tact  Effie  came 
to  the  rescue. 

''  I  remember  Mr.  North  quite  well  as  the  schoolmate 
of  early  days.     That  was  years  ago." 

"  Does  it  appear  long  to  you  ?  "  I  rejDlied.  "  To  me 
it  seems  but  yesterday." 

I  fancied  she  blushed  slightly  as  she  said:  ''We 
welcome  you  back  to  home  and  native  land,  and  hope 
you  will  enjoy  life  with  us." 

This,  as  everything  else  she  said  or  did,  was  unaf- 
fected. There  was  a  simplicity  and  transparency  about 
her  entire  demeanor  as  free  from  guile  or  duplicity  as 
light  from  darkness.  But  the  allusion  to  home  recalled 
my  loss,  and  a  weight  fell  upon  my  heart  and  a  shadow 
upon  my  face.  As  I  spoke  of  this,  in  spite  of  myself 
tears  filled  my  eyes.  I  asked  pardon  for  the  emotion 
I  could  not  control.  There  was  no  need.  Efi&e's  eyes 
w^ere  suffused  with  the  dew  of  tears.  From  that  mo- 
ment there  was  a  l)()nd  of  sympathy  between  us.  I 
knew  that  in  her  I  had  a  ti'ue  friend.     With  consum- 


46  LOOKING  WITHIN, 

mate  tact  she  led  the  conversation  back  to  the  days 
of  our  old  fellowship,  and  recalled  incidents  of  those 
times,  some  of  which  I  had  forgotten.  But  the  worst 
was  I  forgot  myself  in  her  presence,  and  two  houi's 
glided  by  before  I  came  to  realize  it.  She  said  no 
apology  was  needed ;  that  she  was  only  glad  if  she  had 
been  able  to  lead  me  out  of  my  sad  sorrow  for  ever  so 
short  a  period.  On  taking  leave,  Mr.  Solon  warmly 
invited  me  to  call  again. 

I  went  from  the  house  a  new  man.  In  these  friends 
I  felt  the  first  touch  of  real  and  earnest  heart-sympathy 
since  my  bereavement.  There  was  no  sham,  no  con- 
ventionality about  it. 

■  During  the  interview  I  frequently  detected  in  Miss 
Solon  traces  of  little  EfQe.  In  my  di'eams  that  night 
there  was  a  sweet  blending  of  the  dear  ghi  with  the 
more  charming  young  ladj^,  always  ending  in  the  tran- 
scendent gi*ace  and  beauty  of  the  living  presence  I  had 
met  in  the  afternoon.  I  knew  now  that  my  destiny 
was  bound  up  in  that  one  who  filled  all  the  avenues  of 
my  heart.  The  more  I  subsequently  saw  of  her  the 
more  I  found  to  admire.  In  my  eyes  she  was  perfec- 
tion itseK.  With  rare  and  delicate  intuition  she  per- 
ceived my  needs,  and  like  a  ministering  angel  guided 
me  into  paths  of  self-forgetfuluess.  In  her  presence  I 
could  not  be  sad.  Every  new  phase  of  her  character 
added  to  the  worth  and  goodness  of  lierseK.  I  soon 
loved  her  mth  a  consuming  passion.  I  never  had 
learned  until  now  the  depths  of  my  own  nature.  And 
yet  her  very  perfection  made  me  afraid.  I  was  un- 
worthy of  the  love  of  such  a  one;  she  was  too  far 
above  me  in  piu'ity  and  perfection.  How  dare  I  ap- 
proach the  sacred  citadel  of  such  a  soul  1  Yet  I  did 
hope.    I  nmst  hope.    And  I  must  dare  all  on  that  hope. 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  47 

At  last  I  did.    I  was  accepted.    I  was  then  the  happiest 
man  in  America ! 

After  this  Effie  became  more  than  ever  to  me.  She 
held  the  place  of  mother,  sister,  and  fiance  in  my  heart 
—the  tlu-ee  dearest  of  aU  relations  in  Hf  e  except  that  of 
wife.  And  there  was  a  nearness  and  unity  of  heart 
that  could  not  exist  before. 

Subsequently  Effie  told  me  that  during  aU  her  time 
at  school  and  afterward  at  home  she  remembered  the 
little  companion  who  used  to  walk  by  her  side  as  a  pro- 
tector, who  always  took  her  part  and  anticipated  and 
met  all  her  wants.  Her  experience  was  the  counterpart 
of  my  own.  I  think  there  never  was  a  more  complete 
and  unreserved  union  of  hearts  than  om-s— a  union 
that  was  more  fii-mly  cemented  as  the  after-years  came 
and  went. 

I  was  now  lifted  out  of  the  vaUey  of  shadowy  dark- 
ness into  the  broad  sunshine  of  hope  and  joy.  My  life 
kept  step  to  the  music  of  love,  and  the  brightest  bow 
of  promise  spanned  the  sky  of  the  future.  But  who 
can  teU.what  a  day  may  bring  forth?  Had  I  known 
what  that  future  had  in  store  for  me !  I  must  not 
anticipate. 


CHAPTER  YIII. 

The  (lay  was  fixed  for  our  nuptials.  It  was  to  be  in 
the  bright  and  beautiful  May.  After  making  the  pre- 
liminary arrangements,  I  went  home  to  happy  dreams. 
It  was  midwinter.  About  midnight  I  was  awakened 
by  the  alarm  of  fire.  8i)i-iugiug  up,  I  ran  to  the  wdn- 
dow  of  my  room  and  looked  out.  The  whole  eastern 
sky  was  aglow  with  the  light  of  a  lai'ge  conflagration. 
I  hastened  to  the  spot;  the  fire  was  in  the  direction 
of  Mr.  Solon's  works.  Alas,  shops  and  warehouses 
were  aljlaze  !  The  firemen  w^ere  Avorking  with  a  will ; 
all  the  engines  of  the  city  were  on  the  ground.  Her- 
culean efforts  were  made  to  save  the  property;  but 
the  flames  lapped  and  seared  and  flashed  and  roared 
and  laughed  in  a  wdld  revel  of  deliglit  as  they  licked 
up  houses  and  contents.  In  the  midst  of  the  din  an 
awful  cr}^  rang  out  : 

"  A  man  in  one  of  the  upper  rooms  !  " 

An  arm  hung  out  of  a  window !  Quicker  than  we 
can  Avi-ite  it  the  fii'enum  luid  a  ladder  placed.  It  seemed 
certain  death  to  go  to  the  rescue.  A  hero  was  there. 
He  mounted  through  the  smoke  and  flames  to  the  spot 
and  called  to  the  man.  No  answer.  He  dashed  in 
the  window,  sprang  inside,  lifted  the  insensible  fonn, 
pushed  it  out,  held  to  one  arm,  and  followed.  DoA^ni 
they  started.  It  was  like  going  into  a  furnace.  The 
wild  flames  enveloped  the  man  and  his  bm-den.  An 
assistant  rushed  \ip  to  help.     AU  reached  the  ground. 

48 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  49 

The  breathless  silence  was  then  broken  by  a  shout  of 
joy  and  clieers  for  the  hero,  who  was  carried  to  the 
hospital  in  triumph,  and  though  scorched,  singed,  and 
blistered,  he  came  out  after  treatment  undisfigured, 
almost  unscarred,  and  honored  by  his  fellow-citizens 
ever  after. 

The  man  rescued  was  past  recovery;  smoke  and 
flame  had  done  their  work  before  the  discovery. 

This  man  was  the  cause  of  the  fii'e.  He  had  come 
along  in  necessitous  circumstances  some  months  before 
and  out  of  sympathy  Mr.  Solon  gave  him  employment. 
He  returned  this  kindness  by  inciting  the  men  to  strike 
for  higher  wages.  As  this  was  a  typical  case,  we  give  the 
leading  points  briefly.     The  stranger  said  to  the  men : 

"  Look  at  the  difference  between  you  and  your  em- 
ployer. He  is  growing  rich  every  yeai'  from  the  })ro- 
ceeds  of  your  toil.  Your  sweat  and  blood  go  into  his 
coffers  in  the  shape  of  gold  and  greenbacks.  It  is  your 
labor  that  makes  his  wealth.  Without  you  he  would 
become  poor.  He  adds  thousands  to  his  possessions 
every  year,  while  you  who  make  all  his  gains  remain 
poor.  If  you  get  ahead  at  all  it  is  by  such  slow  proc- 
esses as  will  take  a  lifetime  for  you  to  seciu'e  a  small 
competence  for  the  days  of  old  age.  Yet  this  man 
revels  in  abundance  aU  the  days  of  his  life.  That 
alnmdance  is  filched  from  your  brawn  and  muscle. 
His  child  has  all  that  heart  can  wish  or  ambition  crave. 
Your  children  are  doomed  to  toil  and  privation,  and 
can  hope  for  nothing  beyond  the  circumscribed  Ixmnds 
of  poverty.  Is  this  right  ?  Do  you  intend  to  drudge 
on  in  this  way  to  the  end  ?  Will  you  permit  yourselves 
to  be  slaves  of  this  man,  who  has  the  happy  luck  of 
possessing  capital  enough  to  run  a  business  and  get 
rich  at  youi'  expense  ? " 


50  LOOKINii    WJTIIIN. 

Tliese  and  similar  utterances  were  continually  dinned 
in  the  ears  of  the  men,  who  had  been  satisfied  and  con- 
tented up  to  this  time.  These  ultimately  had  the  effect 
to  cause  a  strike.  Greatl}^  to  Mr.  Solon's  sui-prise  his 
men  came  on  Saturday  afternoon  and  demanded  an 
increase  of  pay.  As  soon  as  he  could  recover  from  the 
shock  he  said  to  them  very  kindly : 

"  jMy  friends,  I  have  been  running  behind  for  tliree 
months.  The  business  has  not  been  paying  expenses. 
You  can  see  for  yourselves  that  the  goods  have  ac- 
cumulated in  all  the  shops  and  storerooms  until  there 
is  hardly  space  for  storing  more.  I  have  kept  you  em- 
ployed kno-^dng  what  a  hai'dship  it  would  be  for  you 
to  be  thro'svn  out  of  a  situation  at  this  time.  Why  do 
you  come  ^^dth  such  a  demand  at  this  season,  when  of 
all  otlun-s  it  is  impossible  to  increase  youi-  pay?" 

"  We  think  j'ou  can  pay  us  better  wages,"  said  the 
leader. 

"  Wliy  do  you  think  so  ?  " 

"  Because  j'ou  ai*e  gi-owing  richer  and  we  are  not." 

"  I  am  not  growing  richer  at  tliis  time,  but  poorer 
every  day.  It  depends  upon  the  uncertain  contin- 
gencies of  a  futui'e  demand  whether  I  ever  recover 
from  the  present  losses." 

Then  the  new  man  spoke  up. 

"  You  are  not  getting  poorer.  You  may  not  be  re- 
ceiving as  much  cash  as  usual ;  but  here  are  the  goods 
you  have  allowed  to  accmnulate  as  so  much  wealth, 
which  these  men  have  made  for  you,  and  which  only 
await  the  day  of  sale  to  fill  yoiu*  coffers." 

"  Suppose  the  day  of  sale  does  not  come,  or  when  it 
comes  prices  are  reduced — what,  then,  will  be  the 
profits  ?  I  am  taking  aU  the  chances  for  the  sake  of 
my  men  and  theu*  famiUes.     I  could  not  find  it  in  my 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  51 

heart  to  tiu'n  them  out  so  long  as  it  was  possible  for 
me  to  keep  them  employed ;  but  as  you  have  yourselves 
opened  the  way,  and  as  it  will  be  profitable  for  me  to 
close  down  at  present,  I  say  to  you,  if  you  do  not  wish 
to  continue  to  work  at  the  prices  I  have  been  paying 
you  are  at  liberty  to  leave  me  at  once.  I  shall  regret 
to  part  with  you,  but  if  you  will  go  you  must.  I  can- 
not increase  your  pay  now.  If  you  remain  and  times 
improve  so  that  I  can  pay  you  more,  I  shall  do  so  with- 
out your  asking.  Make  up  yoiu'  minds  now  and  let 
me  know  your  decision  speedily." 

The  men  held  a  brief  consultation  by  themselves  and 
in  a  few  minutes  reported. 

"  We  will  gladly  continue  work  at  the  present  prices, 
and  thank  you  for  not  sending  us  away.  We  never 
should  have  thought  of  asking  an  advance  of  pay  but 
for  this  stranger,  who  has  deceived  and  led  us  astray." 

So  the  men  remained.  The  stranger  was  paid  off 
and  dismissed.  And  he  was  the  one  taken  from  the 
burning  building  too  late  to  save  his  life.  He  had 
been  drinking  in  the  evening,  and  either  accidentally 
or  purposely  set  fire  to  the  place,  with  the  result  named. 
Mr.  Solon  had  the  remains  buried  at  his  own  expense. 
His  plant  was  almost  a  total  loss. 

Little  did  I  think  how  this  sad  event  was  to  affect 
my  life ! 


CHAPTER  IX. 

I  CALLED  on  Effie  the  next  day.  She  was  in  distress 
of  mind  not  caused  by  her  father's  loss.  Feeling  ill, 
she  requested  to  be  left  alone  and  for  me  to  call  on  the 
moiTow.  I  did  so.  She  was  still  under  a  eloud.  The 
light  of  gladness  in  the  eye  was  gone ;  the  radiant  face 
was  beneath  an  eclipse.  Evidently  she  was  passing 
through  a  mental  strain,  and  was  not  her  own  buoyant 
and  clieeiy  self. 

"  What  is  the  trouble,  dearest ? "  I  inquired  -with  the 
deepest  solicitude,  holding  her  willing  hand. 

She  replied,  "  It  is  inexpressibly  painful  for  me  to 
say  or  do  aught  that  will  cause  you  pain ;  but  necessity 
compels  me.  The  fii"e  has  left  father  in  such  circum- 
stances as  must  postpone  our  marriage  indefinitely." 

"  Not  by  any  means,  love.  You  know  I  am  amply 
able  to  care  for  j^ou,  and  I  am  now  more  than  ever 
anxious  to  do  so.  If  j^ou  had  not  a  cent  in  the  world  I 
should  just  as  joyously  make  you  the  partner  of  my 
joys  and  son-ows  as  though  you  possessed  millions. 
Your  father's  loss  need  be  no  barrier  to  oui-  union  as 
agreed  upon,  but  may  hasten  the  happy  event,  if  only 
you  wiU  consent  that  it  shall." 

"I  cannot,"  she  said,  and  gave  her  reasons.  Her 
fii'st  duty  was  to  her  parents.  Her  father's  losses 
would  reach  a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars.  She  must 
aid  him  by  being  his  bookkeeper  until  better  times.  •  I 
protested  and  proffered  aid.     She  was  sure  her  father 

52 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  53 

would  accept  favors  from  no  one  that  would  increase 
his  liabilities,  and  if  he  would  she  would  not.  I  ex- 
pressed surprise  at  this,  but  soon  found  that  her  high 
sense  of  indei^endence  was  sensitive,  and  not  to  be 
placed  in  a  doubtfid  position  even  by  a  lover.  I  had 
to  admii-e  while  I  felt  the  pain  of  the  dechnation  of 
assistance.     I  said : 

"My  dear  Effie,  you  are  worth  a  hundred  of  me,  and 
if  I  had  the  world  to  lay  at  yom*  feet  I  should  still  be 
your  debtor." 

She  rejihed  that  this  was  very  flattering,  but  only  the 
rhapsody  of  a  lover.  She  i-emained  fii'm,  and  I  could 
do  nothing  but  acquiesce.  I  left  her  presence  with 
mingled  emotions.  Selfishness  demanded  the  prompt 
fulfilhnent  of  our  engagement.  Something  higher  in 
me  admii-ed  the  courage  and  self-abnegation  of  this 
peerless  woman.  I  kncAV  by  the  tremor  of  voice  and 
all  visible  signs  how  much  it  cost  her  to  renounce  self 
and  stand  fii*mly  by  duty  as  she  saw  it.  Even  in  my 
troubled  mind,  batthng  as  I  was  in  a  conflict,  she  had 
placed  herself  on  the  mount  of  transfiguration. 

Without  dwelhng  upon  this  dark  period  of  my  life  I 
simply  say  that  Ef&e  remained  true  to  her  conviction, 
and  gave  five  years  as  the  probable  time  of  oiu'  proba- 
tion. Five  years  !  It  seemed  almost  an  eternity.  What 
should  I,  what  could  I,  do  all  these  years  of  waiting  ? 


CHAPTER  X. 

I  NOW  come  to  the  first  distinctive  event  of  my  life 
which  renders  this  record  worth  writing. 

The  bnlk  of  my  possessions  was  situated  about  a 
mile  from  the  city.  On  the  premises  was  a  pecidiar 
formation  of  rock  covering  over  an  acre  of  ground.  It 
was  about  twice  as  long  as  it  was  wide — an  oblong 
figm-e  more  resembling  the  work  of  a  designing  archi- 
tect than  a  convulsion  of  natiu-e. 

A  kind  and  gentlemanly  stranger  requested  the  priv- 
ilege of  making  a  room  in  this  rocky  hill  for  the  pur- 
pose of  establishing  a  chemical  laboratory  where  he 
could  conduct  a  series  of  very  important  experiments 
without  being  disturbed  and  where  he  would  be  certain 
to  harm  no  one.  I  readily  gave  consent,  and  a  few 
days  after  was  called  away  on  important  business 
which  detained  me  six  mouths. 

On  retm-niug  home  my  attention  was  draT\'n  to  a 
pile  of  large  rocks  lying  in  front  of  the  spot  where  I 
had  given  the  eccentric  chemist  permission  to  fix  his 
quarters.  I  had  forgotten  the  affau-  entu-ely.  This 
brought  it  to  mind,  and  I  went  over  to  see  what  was 
done. 

Imagine  my  surprise  when  the  man  took  me  into  a 
room  twelve  by  fifteen  feet  in  size  and  ten  feet  high, 

54 


LOOIONG  WITHIN.  55 

cut  out  of  solid  rock.  The  thing  seemed  an  impossi- 
bility. By  way  of  explanation  he  took  a  bottle  of  pecul- 
iar-looking fluid,  and  with  a  tracing-pencil  of  his  own 
construction  drew  a  line  across  a  block  of  solid  rock 
two  feet  in  thickness,  and  by  repeating  the  process  for 
ten  minutes  the  stone  was  divided  as  smoothly  as  if  it 
had  been  sawn  asunder.  This  explained  the  problem 
but  not  the  mystery.  A  simple  mechanical  contrivance 
enabled  him  to  move  the  blocks  as  he  cut  them  loose 
where  he  desired. 

In  a  short  time  this  room,  which  was  delightfully 
ventilated,  was  elegantly  furnished  with  hangings  which 
deadened  the  sound.  A  smaller  room  at  one  side  was 
used  for  the  laboratory.  The  main  room  was  a  place 
fit  for  a  prince.  I  desu-ed  the  gentleman  to  give  me 
his  name.  He  said,  "  Call  me  the  Chemist."  So  I  knew 
him  only  by  that  appellation.  He  always  appeared 
glad  to  see  me,  and  took  delight  in  showing  me  his 
apparatus  and  explaining  his  processes,  which  I  did 
not  understand.  He  claimed  to  be  developing  some 
wonderful  discoveries,  which  I  should  be  made  ac- 
quainted with  in  due  time.  I  paid  little  attention  to 
these  things,  thinking  them  the  chimeras  of  an  enthu- 
siast. 

One  day  he  requested  an  interview,  which  he  said 
might  prove  of  inestimable  value  to  me.  Dming 
the  interview  he  explained  to  me  the  nature  of  a 
number  of  really  marvelous  chemical  discoveries  he 
had  made.  I  need  mention  but  a  few  of  them,  which 
are  intimately  connected  with  tliis  history  of  strange 
events.  One  in  particular  was  a  preparation  upon 
which  he  had  spent  years  of  labor  and  research  with 
the  most  astonishing  and  incredil^le  results.  He  had 
not  yet  given  to  this  child  of  his  skill  a  name,  l)ut 


56  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

described  it  as  a  life-preserver  dui-iug  a  period  of  sus- 
pended aniinutiou  tliat  it  produced.  He  declared  it 
would  put  a  jjerson  in  an  luiconscious  state,  with  an 
entire  suspension  of  all  the  life  forces  of  the  physical 
and  mental  systems,  and  yet  preserve  these  forces  in- 
tact for  an  indefinite  period  of  time. 

The  longest  case  of  actual  experiment  was  of  ten 
years'  dm"ation,  on  a  mendicant  who  was  suffering  fi'oni 
a  painfid  disease.  It  was  successfid  in  all  respects.  He 
had  the  preparation  gi-aded  in  strength  from  one  hour 
to  one  hundred  years.  I  gave  respectful  attention  to 
all  he  said,  but  was  not  at  the  time  very  deeply  im- 
pressed by  what  I  heard.  He  and  I  were  the  only  per- 
sons who  had  ever  entered  his  I'etreat ;  and  he  assured 
me  I  was  the  only  person  living  besides  himself  who 
knew  of  his  secret.  The  mendicant  had  died  from  ex- 
posure before  he  could  secure  him  for  a  twenty  yeai's' 
trial.  In  the  near  future  he  proposed  to  fui'uish  me 
wtli  a  formula  and  full  particulars  for  the  compound- 
ing of  all  his  preparations,  among  which  were  a  numl)er 
for  removing  stains  from  the  human  skin  and  all  man- 
ner of  textile  fabrics,  whatever  the  cause  which  pro- 
duced them.     All  were  harmless. 

At  his  request,  and  to  please  him,  I  had  an  apartment 
fitted  up  in  my  traveling- valise  sidtable  for  the  pur- 
pose, which  he  filled  Avith  a  number  of  bottles  contain- 
ing his  products.     He  remarked : 

"  You  will  sometimes  find  these  of  inestimable  value. 
In  case  of  emergency  or  unpai-alleled  need,  do  not  for- 
get to  consult  these  bottles  for  relief.  I  will  place  fuU 
and  intelligible  directions  with  them." 

I  accepted  his  kindness  because  I  saw  it  pleased  him. 
His  earnestness  made  some  impression  upon  my  mind ; 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  57 

but  the  exciting  events  which  followed  di'ove  this  from 
thought  and  memory.  A  shelf  near  his  bed  and  the 
hiboratory  proper  had  samples  of  his  preparations  ready 
for  use  at  all  times.  These  matters  will  prove  of  great 
interest  hereafter. 

One  day,  shortly  before  the  fii-e  occm-red  that  has 
already  been  mentioned,  the  Chemist  called  me  into 
his  room,  and  said : 

*'  I  have  a  presentiment  that  something  will  happen 
in  the  near  futm^e  whicli  shall  separate  me  from  this 
dear  sj)ot.  If  anything  befalls  me,  I  l^equeath  all  my 
belongings  here  to  you.  When  tliey  l)ecome  yours  you 
will  learn  to  prize  them  as  among  yoiu-  most  valuable 
worldly  possessions." 

He  then  pointed  out  to  me  a  secret  place  in  the  rock 
opened  by  a  spring,  invisible  except  to  the  initiated, 
where  he  always  init  the  key  to  the  outer  door  when 
he  went  away.  He  also  showed  me  the  drawers  and 
other  receptacles  inside  the  rooms  where  he  kept  many 
things  and  all  his  valuables.  I  passed  through  this 
like  one  in  a  dream ;  yet  I  afterward  recalled  aU  that 
transpired.  I  told  him  not  to  yield  to  any  morbid 
feeling  or  sentiment,  ])ut  pi'cpai'e  to  live  many  years  to 
bless  mankind.  He  protested  that  he  was  not  morbid ; 
that  he  might  live,  as  I  said ;  yet  in  obedience  to  an  un- 
accountable impression  he  had  done  these  things.  He 
was  perfectly  calm  and  deliberate  in  all  his  acts. 

I  was  called  from  home  to  a  distant  city  on  the  fol- 
lowing day  on  urgent  business,  and  was  absent  three 
weeks.  The  day  after  my  departm-e  the  Chemist  was 
crossing  the  i-ailway  track  near  Mr.  Solon's  works, 
when  an  engine  struck  him,  inflicting  fatal  injuries. 
Mr.  Solon  was  near  by  at  the  time,  saw  the  accident, 


58  LOOKING  WITHIN, 

ran  to  the  assistance  of  the  unfortunate  victun,  raised 
hiui  tenderly  in  his  arms,  then  had  him  conveyed  to 
his  own  home,  where  he  received  every  possible  care 
and  attention.  Efiie  herself  ministered  to  liim  in  his 
sutferii]f?.  H(i  died  the  thii-d  day,  and  was  appropri- 
ately buried  by  Mr,  Solon. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Effie's  decision  left  an  aimless  life  before  me.  What 
could  I  do?  How  occupy  the  time  so  many  years? 
Like  the  troubled  sea,  I  could  not  rest.  To  be  idle  was 
impossible.  To  be  near  her  and  yet  so  far  away  was 
unbearal)le.  I  must  find  something  to  do.  Where  was 
an  opening  for  action  ? 

At  this  juncture  some  new  agitation  of  the  hack- 
neyed theme  of  labor  and  capital  turned  my  attention 
in  that  dii"ection.  I  would  go  into  the  field  and  make 
personal  observation.  My  pm'pose  was  to  visit  all 
classes,  and  learn  from  each.  Heretofore  I  had  gath- 
ered an  item  here  and  there ;  now  I  would  try  to  sys- 
tematize. 

I  went  among  farmers  first.  Here  I  found  a  wide 
divergence  of  views.  Some  claimed  that  the  farmer — 
the  soil — produced  all  things  necessary  for  life,  and 
therefore  shoidd  receive  the  fii'st  care  and  fostering  aid 
of  the  government.  In  attempting  to  show  how  this 
could  be  done  there  were  almost  as  many  theories  as 
men.  All  agreed  on  one  thing,  that  something  shoidd  he 
done  for  the  farmer.  These  views  were  those  of  the  agi- 
tators. One  desired  a  sub-treasmy ;  another  wanted 
government  warehouses  and  loans  on  gi'ain  deposited ; 
others  demanded  government  ownership  of  railways 
and  of  pretty  much  everything  except  themselves  and 
their  possessions.  There  was  no  end  to  schemes  wild 
and  visionary  beyond  beUef  had  not  my  own  ears  heard 

59 


60  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

them  expoimdetl.  Unity  existed  only  in  the  one  thing 
named  above.  And  these  men  were  the  staid  and 
steady  farmers ! 

I  visited  wage-earners.  Their  Avelhknown  tlieoiy  is 
that  hibor  produces  all  wealtli,  including-  that  of  the 
farmer;  therefore  the  first  duty  of  government  and 
society  is  to  protect  and  encourage  labor,  which  is  now 
oppressed  and  downtrodden.  These  claims  have  been 
so  often  discussed  they  need  not  be  repeated  here.  The 
one  discouraging  feature  was  the  tendency  of  so  many 
laborers  to  lawlessness  and  anarchy.  This  was  espe- 
cially true  of  foreign-born  woi-kmen.  I  had  heard  of 
this  frequentl}^,  but  never  felt  its  force  until  I  came  in 
personal  contact  with  it.  The  more  intelligent  toilers  dis- 
coiu'age  these  tendencies  and  try  to  banish  them.  But 
they  would  not  down.  A  large  element  in  all  the  labor 
unions  has  unmistakable  procli\dties  in  this  dii'ection. 

I  learned  most  in  private  talk  with  single  men  or 
small  gTOups.  To  gain  theii'  confidence  I  dressed  like 
one  of  them.  The  l)itterness  of  some  of  the  men. toward 
capitalists  was  appalling.  Murder  was  in  their  hearts, 
with  all  the  lesser  crimes.  I  did  not  believe  this  be- 
fore ;  I  was  compelled  to  believe  it  noAv.  Agitators 
fermented  the  discontent  and  added  fuel  to  the  fires 
of  hate  already  bm-ning.  I  was  sometunes  ahnost 
paralyzed  by  the  vindictive  spirit  manifested.  I  could 
quote  utterances  by  the  hundred,  but  the  few  words 
already  written  is  a  summary  of  the  feeling  revealed. 
I  remained  weeks  among  the  various  classes  of  labor- 
ers. Some  of  them  are  among  the  wisest  and  best 
citizens  of  the  republic,  an  honor  to  themselves  and 
their  coiuitry ;  they  are  the  real  hope  of  our  free  insti- 
tutions. The  ones  wlio  make  the  disturbance  are  the 
ignorant,  the  agitators,  llie  leaders  wlio  make  money 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  61 

or  obtain  power  and  position  by  siicli  means,  and  all 
who  are  restless  and  dissatisfied.  I  re.i^ret  to  say  that 
these  various  classes  number  tens  of  thousands.  With 
due  consideration  of  all  the  stable  and  conservative 
forces  of  law,  order,  and  the  social  compact,  I  am  per- 
suaded that  these  restless  and  vicious  people  are  a 
menace  to  the  well-being  of  society,  and  of  a  free  gov- 
ernment wliicli  opposes  anarchy. 

I  next  sought  out  individuals  who  had  influence  in 
various  comnuinities  and  interviewed  them.  Some  of 
their  prominent  utterances  are  here  gi-ouped  in  a  com- 
pact form. 

One  man  said:  "There  is  something  alarming  in 
this  unrest  of  the  people.  Wlien  a  single  person 
raves  or  rides  a  hobby,  it  amounts  to  nothing;  but 
when  whole  comnnmities  or  bodies  of  men  numbering 
thousands  do  the  same  thing,  there  is  danger." 

Another:  ''This  turmoil  will  not  last  long.  The 
good  sense  of  the  people  is  our  sheetranchor.  Pros- 
perity will  silence  discontent.  Wlien  a  few  agitators 
are  dead,  or  lose  their  grip,  things  will  settle  down  to 
then-  normal  quiet." 

A  merchant  said:  "The  farmers  and  laborers  de- 
mand everything.  What  is  to  become  of  the  rest  of 
the  people  1 " 

A  farmer  declared:  "We  have  no  use  for. middle- 
men and  merchant  princes  and  robbers.  The  sooner 
they  are  all  cleaned  out  the  better." 

A  laborer  said  to  a  farmer :  "  You  want  me  to  join 
you  in  efforts  to  secure  liigh  prices  for  your  products. 
Why  should  I  ?  High  prices  for  you  means  expensive 
living  for  me.  If  you  get  a  doUar  a  bushel  for  wheat, 
my  bread  will  cost  me  Uviae  as  much  as  if  you  got  but 
fifty  cents  for  wheat.     Yom-  gain  is  my  loss." 


G2  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

One  said :  "  Who  can  divide  between  capital  and 
labor?  The  farmer  is  both  ca])italist  and  laborer. 
His  land  is  his  capital.  He  tills  it  with  his  own 
hands.  Both  classes  blend  in  him.  Why  should  he 
antagonize  either!  The  same  is  true  of  every  me- 
chanic who  owns  his  shop  and  does  his  own  work.  It 
is  the  desii'e  of  every  enterprising  and  ambitious 
laborer  to  secure  capital.  Wliy  should  he  denounce 
the  one  who  has  ali'cady  reached  the  goal  for  which 
he  is  striving  ? " 

A  commercial  man :  ''  Capital  is  conservative ;  it 
seeks  stability.  Agitation  is  all  on  the  side  of  labor. 
It  is  in  the  ranks  of  labor  that  anarchy,  socialism,  and 
communism  have  their  bii'th  and  are  nourished.  All 
the  danger  from  revolution  and  upheaval  comes  from 
the  side  of  lalwr.  If  the  republic  is  ever  destroyed,  it 
■will  be  overthrown  by  the  agitators  who  corruptly  use 
labor  as  the  cloak  to  cover  their  aims." 

A  conservative  farmer :  "  The  most  astonishing  thing 
in  the  whole  outlook  is  that  farmers  should  join  hands 
A\dth  the  disorganizers.  They  have  all  to  lose  and 
notliiiig  to  gain  by  either  political  or  social  convul- 
sions." 

A  loan  agent :  ''  Three  fourths  of  the  money  loaned 
out  on  inteix'st  is  owned  by  laboring  men  and  women, 
or  comes  from  their  estates.  Capitalists  put  their 
money  into  their  own  investments,  and  keep  it  under 
personal  control.  I  know  of  no  millionaire  who  is  a 
money-loaner." 

Many  said :  "  Trusts  and  combines  must  go.  They 
are  the  curse  of  the  country."  Others  denounced 
banks.  A  general  and  unmeaning  outcry  against 
capital  was  heard  on  all  sides.  It  was  stigmatized  as 
a  tyrant,  an  oppressor,  a  robber.     It  lived  and  grew 


LOOKING   WITHESr.  63 

fat  ou  the  toil  aud  blood  of  the  poor.  It  is  a  l)lood- 
sucker,  a  murderer ;  aud  all  the  senseless  twaddle  of 
the  demagogue. 

Remarks  similar  to  these  were  made  by  hundreds  of 
men  hundi'eds  of  miles  apart,  where  there  could  be  no 
possible  collusion. 

Conservative  citizens  everywhere  discoui-aged  all 
phases  of  tliis  revolutionary  agitation,  and  deprecated 
the  array  of  one  class  against  another.  But  pro- 
moters of  confusion  seemed  to  be  in  the  majority  in 
many  places. 

I  presently  struck  a  new  lead.  A  gentleman  rather 
energetically  declared :  "  The  worst  thing  that  has 
ever  struck  tliis  country  is  this  new-fangled  paternal- 
ism. Men  who  are  in  debt  want  the  government  to 
pay  theii"  debts  in  some  way.  Those  out  of  money 
want  the  government  to  furnish  them  with  funds. 
Those  in  need  of  transportation  wish  the  government 
to  carry  them  and  their  products  for  nothing.  Every 
idler,  vagabond,  and  tramp  wants  the  government  to 
feed,  clothe,  and  make  him  rich.  The  farmer  wants 
government  warehouses  and  government  loans  mtli- 
out  interest  on  his  grain.  He  wants  the  government 
to  make  money  so  plenty  that  it  can  be  gathered  up  as 
the  Hebrews  gathered  the  manna  every  morning.  If 
a  man  is  in  trouble,  he  wants  the  government  to  come 
to  his  relief.  If  his  soul  is  set  on  a  fortune,  the  gov- 
ernment must  get  it  for  him.  Every  worthless,  lazy, 
trifling  pest  wants  the  government  to  lift  him  into 
opulence.  The  wildest  schemes  are  to  be  fathered  by 
the  government.  In  a  word,  the  whole  population  are 
to  be  made  kings,  queens,  and  princes  by  the  govern- 
ment. This  notion  is  the  curse  of  the  land.  It  ap- 
peals to  the  baser  elements  of  society.     It  holds  out 


G4  LOOKING   W^THIN. 

alluriuf;  pruinises  to  those  who  wish  to  get  rich  in 
haste  witliont  labor,  to  be  clothed  in  purple  and  ftne 
linen  tliong-h  they  neither  spin  nor  weave." 

Another  in  the  same  vein:  "'Looking  Backward' 
has  been  the  bane  of  this  nation.  It  breeds  a  notion 
in  the  minds  of  thonsands  that  somehow  the  govern- 
ment will  be  compelled  by  agitation  to  do  for  them 
what  God,  natm-e,  and  society  demand  they  shall  do 
for  themselves.  Its  Utoi)ian  notions  have  taken  root 
in  many  minds.  Mnltitndes  w^ho  never  saw  the  book 
have  received  its  teachings  second-hand,  and  been  poi- 
soned by  them.  It  is  like  the  fabled  basilisk  :  its  veiy 
presence  is  death.  Like  the  upas  tree,  it  is  fail*  to  be- 
hold, but  all  who  come  within  its  shade  are  doomed. 
Its  poison  is  more  insidious  than  that  of  the  rattle- 
snake, and  it  does  not  give  warning  of  its  bite  until 
the  deadly  fangs  have  struck  the  fatal  blow.  It  is  the 
river.  Stj^x  in  this  l)eloved  land,  and  bears  death  upon 
its  polluted  waters." 

"  Why  don't  you  destroy  it,  then  ? "  was  inquired. 

''  Kill  it !  How  can  you  destroy  a  fog  bank  f  You 
may  smite  it  through  and  through  with  sword  and 
javelin,  and  make  no  impression  upon  it.  If  it  had 
any  foundation  or  substance  about  it  you  could  at- 
tack it.  But  who  can  fight  a  di^eam  ?  Who  run  a-tilt 
against  the  baseless  fabric  of  a  vision!  While  you 
cannot  hurt  the  fog,  it  infolds  you  and  leads  to  disas- 
ter. The  ship  is  lost  in  its  fatal  embrace.  The  man 
is  bewildei-ed  by  it.  Sailors  and  men  are  alike  power- 
less in  its  toils.  So  with  this  misleading  book.  It 
dazzles  but  to  blind." 

''  That  is  a  terrible  indictment,"  said  the  other. 

"  I  wish  it  was  not  true.     I  msh  its  ignis-fafuus  light 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  65 

eoiild  be  blotted  out,  banished  forever  into  the  bogs 
that  produced  it." 

"Surely  if  it  is  such  a  power  there  must  be  some 
method  by  which  its  evil  tendencies  can  be  counter- 
acted." 

"Give  us  the  antidote.     Its  value  will  be  untold." 

I  was  astonished  beyond  measure. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

The  experiences  here  recorded  were  not  reassuring-. 
The  outh)ok  was  unpromising.  The  future  presented 
to  me  an  arena  of  turmoil  and  strife.  Turn  which 
way  I  would,  there  was  no  hght  for  me.  I  knew  Effie 
had  all  she  could  bear.  I  would  not  add  to  her  dis- 
tress.    Better  bear  my  own  burden. 

A  heated  pohtical  campaign  was  approaching-.  De- 
ception and  falsehood  would  run  riot,  and  party  spirit 
I'ule  the  hour.  Pati'iotism  would  too  often  be  swal- 
lowed up  in  partisanship,  principle  be  sacrificed  for 
party  gain. 

Labor  troubles  were  life.  The  daily  press  was  a 
seething  mass  of  foam  and  fury,  lashed  into  commo- 
tion by  its  own  unseemly  strife.  If  party  success 
could  be  achieved  by  unchaining  the  destructive  forces 
of  anarchy,  there  was  no  hesitancy  in  tm'uing  the  key 
in  the  lock  and  letting  these  elements  loose. 

JMagazine  articles,  from  which  something  more  sage 
and  philosophical  is  expected,  treated  the  profoundest 
questions  of  social  economy  vnth  a  flijipancy  scarcely 
worthy  of  the  daily  paper.  .  Looking  onh'  at  the  sur- 
face of  things,  and  falling  in  mth  the  popular  current, 
the  most  superficial  reasoning  was  indulged  in,  and 
conclusions  reached  of  the  most  erroneous  character. 
No  depth,  no  wisdom,  no  dehdng  for  fundamental 
principles,  no  probing  of  faUaeies;  only  an  effort  to 

G6 


LOOiaNG  WITHIN.  G7 

gain  attention  by  such  methods  as   tlie   demagogue 
employs. 

I  turned  away  sick  at  heart.  Was  there  no  phxce  of 
safety  ?  No  secure  retreat  f  No  asylum  of  repose  for 
those  weary  of  this  clamor  and  confusion  ?  Was  there 
no  master-mind  to  point  out  a  better  way  ?  Was  the 
reign  of  demagogues  supreme!  Were  there  none  to 
stand  by  truth  and  prmciple,  "  hve  or  die,  survive  or 
perish"!  True  men  there  were,  but  they  were  not 
noisy.  In  the  general  tumult  they  were  often  swept 
aside  and  out  of  sight. 

As  I  contemplated  the  situation,  the  words  of  a  gen- 
tleman I  met  in  my  late  excursion  came  to  mind.  He 
said : 

"We  boast  of  our  refinement;  but  there  is  much  of 
the  savage  left  in  us.  If  there  is  a  brutal  prize-fight, 
the  papers  are  full  of  it ;  aU  the  disgusting  details  are 
given.  It  is  rumored  that  two  well-known  pugilists  are 
to  fight.  If  they  do,  all  the  papers  wiU  teem  with  partic- 
ulars. These  brutes  wiU  be  made  heroes ;  their  move- 
ments will  be  reported ;  they  will  receive  more  atten- 
tion than  the  wisest  philosophers,  statesmen,  or  divines ; 
and  if  the  mill  conies  off,  all  the  bloody  rounds  will  be 
heralded  to  the  world  with  the  utmost  ability  of  repor- 
torial  skill.  Remember  my  words,  and  see  if  they 
come  true.  This  goes  to  show  that  the  beast  is  still  in 
the  human  l)reast.  It  may  be  as  a  Hon  chained,  but  it 
is  there.  If  there  was  no  demand  for  this  kind  of 
stuff,  editors  and  pul)lishers  would  not  cater  to  the 
l)arbaric  taste.  It  is  a  sad  truth  that  in  our  high  civ- 
ilization we  are  yet  so  largely  savages !  " 

These  strictures  may  have  been  severe;  l)ut  who 
will  deny  their  truth  ?  I  was  now  in  a  humor  to  have 
these  remarks  make  an  undue  impression  upon  my 


68  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

iniud.  If  this  roaring  liou  of  savagery  should  be  un- 
chained, what  di'eadful  scenes  must  ensue !  Did  not 
the  unrest  on  every  side  indicate  the  unfastening  of 
the  fetters  f  When  even  the  most  sober  chisses  of 
men  were  moved  to  threaten  violence,  what  would  be 
the  results  should  the  lower  strata  of  humanity  in  om* 
large  cities — half  l)east,  half  man — be  turned  loose  ? 

I  was  probal)ly  morbid.  I  did  not  wish  to  mingle 
in  the  strife.  Where  should  I  flee  ?  At  this  juncture 
the  thought  of  the  (■heniist  and  his  marvelous  prejia- 
ration  flashed  upon  my  mind.  I  had  tried  the  com- 
pound for  short  periods  of  time,  and  found  its  claims 
were  relial)le.  It  had  acted  perfectly.  I  would  now 
ventui'e  to  try  it  for  a  term  of  years. 

How  could  I  reconcile  Effie  to  this  ?  How  part  fi'om 
her  so  long  f  Under  present  conditions  my  presence 
was  almost  as  painful  to  her  as  my  absence.  So  of 
myself.  If  I  retired  from  the  world,  no  other  mortal 
should  know  the  fact.  Should  I  do  this  ?  The  thought 
came  and  was  put  aside  many  times.  It  kept  return- 
ing. Finally  it  rcMuained  and  became  a  purpose.  I 
made  my  arrangements.  A  friend  was  secured  to  man- 
age my  affairs  until  my  return.  I  was  to  go  on  a  jour- 
ney, and  be  absent  five  years. 

I  must  see  Eifie.  How  could  I  part  from  her  ?  How 
take  leave?  Coidd  I  keei>  my  secret  from  her  as  she 
questioned  me  and  I  looked  into  those  truthful  eyes? 
No;  in  her  presence  I  must  say  nothing  of  the  long- 
absence.  After  the  sweet  interview  I  would  wi'ite 
such  facts  as  I  could.     This  })rogram  was  carried  out. 

I  lingered  by  her  side — I  could  not  tear  myself 
away.  I  was  ready  to  abandon  the  purpose.  She  per- 
ceived my  dis(juiet.  Wliat  caused  it?  Could  she  not 
guess?     I  felt  the  giound  slipping  from  under  me. 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  GO 

Concealment  was  not  my  forte.  Her  searching  eyes 
were  a  ceaseless  interrogation.  I  must  go  or  teU  aU. 
I  kissed  and  embraced  her  long  and  tenderly.  Oh,  the 
pain,  the  bliss  of  those  moments  !    At  last  I  broke  away. 

The  next  day  I  wrote  to  EfBe,  informing  her  of  my 
resolution  to  go  away,  as  I  feared  I  should  break 
down  in  a  personal  interview.  I  would  be  out  of 
the  reach  of  postal  facilities,  so  that  I  could  not 
write.  This  would  be  the  last  communication  for 
possibly  five  years,  the  time  she  had  fixed  for  us  to 
wait.  Whether  she  heard  from  me  or  not,  she  might 
rest  assured  that  I  should  never  forget  her  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  if  alive  at  the  end  of  the  period  named  I 
should  return  and  claim  her  as  my  own.  She  would 
now  understand  whj^  I  was  so  unlike  myself  yesterday, 
and  took  such  a  lingering  and  ardent  farewell.  Full 
explanations  when  I  should  see  her. 

This  was  the  hard  part  of  my  undertaking.  I 
placed  the  letter  in  Mr.  Solon's  box  at  the  post-office, 
and  then  hastened  to  the  room  in  the  rock,  lest  even 
now  my  courage  should  fail. 

After  preparations  for  the  final  act  were  completed, 
I  sat  on  the  side  of  the  couch  and  mused.  Was  not 
this  foolish  and  cowardly?  Why  not  manfully  face 
whatever  should  come  ?  Why  desert  Eflie  1  This  was 
the  sore  spot.  I  shrank  and  quivered.  It  was  not  yet 
too  late.  Stop  now.  I  had  the  bottle  in  my  hand.  I 
set  it  down,  arose,  and  paced  the  floor.  Should  I  pro- 
ceed f  I  was  almost  ready  to  say  no.  Then  came  the 
thought :  "  You  have  made  all  the  arrangements.  It 
will  be  silly  to  back  oiit.  What  wiU  the  friend  in 
charge  of  your  business  think  ?  How  can  you  explain 
matters  to  Effie  f  What  will  she  think  of  your  vacilla- 
tion ?     You  cannot  now  honorably  retreat." 


70  LOOKING    WITHIN. 

I  hesitated  no  longer.  Resniiiin«4'  my  jjlace  on  the 
side  of  the  bed,  I  took  np  the  liottle,  poured  out  the 
recpiired  amount,  and  swallowed  it.  As  I  returned  the 
Ijottle  to  its  place  the  light  shone  fau-ly  upon  it,  and  I 
saw  it  was  tliirty-flve  years  instead  of  five.  In  my 
haste  I  had  taken  up  the  wrong  bottle ! 

Wliat  sliould  I  do  f  What  w^ould  Effie  think  ?  She 
must  conclude  I  had  deserted  her !  The  thought  was 
worse  than  death.  I  would  rush  away  and  tell  her  all 
before  the  potion  took  effect.  Alas,  this  was  impossi^ 
ble !  Already  I  was  in  its  grasp,  I  felt  its  potency  in 
every  filler.  I  had  barely  time  to  compose  myself  and 
extinguish  the  light,  when,  with  the  words  on  my  lips, 
"  Oh,  Effie,  Effie  !  my  angel  Effie  !  God  bless  and  keep 
thee !  "  I  sank  away  into  unconscious  forgetfulness. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

My  next  conscious  knowledge  was  a  sensation  some- 
what resembling  the  prickling  feeling  which  accompa- 
nies the  return  to  a  normal  condition  of  an  arm  or  a 
limb  that  has  been  asleep.  There  was  no  tingling  or 
twitching,  and  no  unpleasant  sensations.  It  was  as  if 
something  simultaneously  let  go  its  hold  upon  every 
part  and  fiber  of  the  physical  system,  not  suddenly  in 
a  jerk,  but  quietly  and  gradually.  It  required  from 
one  to  two  minutes  for  this  mysterious  agent  to  pass 
entirely  away.  As  soon  as  it  was  gone  I  was  fuUy 
awake.  Memory  sat  upon  its  throne  as  consciousness 
returned.  I  was  myself.  It  seemed  to  me  but  a  few 
hours  since  I  had  gone  to  sleep.  My  first  thought  was 
of  Effie,  as  my  last  had  been. 

"  Thank  God,  she  will  suifer  nothing  from  my  shoi't 
absence ! "  I  mentally  exclaimed.  "  Happily  for  us, 
the  Chemist  was  mistaken ;  the  potency  of  his  prepa- 
ration was  a  mistake  or  a  sham." 

And  for  this  I  felt  unspeakably  thankful.  Reaching 
out  my  hand,  I  found  the  matches  and  struck  a  light. 
The  air  in  the  room  was  delicious^  cool  and  inspiring. 
The  automatic  ventilation  was  perfect.  It  admitted  aii* 
fi'eely,  while  it  excluded  water,  insects,  and  all  unpleas- 
ant extraneous  substances. 

I  cpiickly  dressed.  Up  to  this  time  I  had  been  com- 
pletely absorljcd  in  mj'self  and  the  immediate  sur- 
roundings.    Now  my  attention  was  attracted  by  a  low 

71 


72  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

rumbling  sound,  conjoined  witli  a  slight  trembling  or 
tremor  of  the  ground.  It  was  much  like  the  passing  of 
a  lieavy  train  of  cai's  on  a  railway.  As  there  was  no 
railroad  near,  what  could  this  strange  sound  mean  ?  I 
had  never  heard  an  army  on  the  nuircli,  but  it  occuiTed 
to  me  these  sounds  were  such  as  an  army  would  make ; 
but  there  could  be  no  army  in  that  vicinity. 

I  looked  at  my  watch.  It  was  a  complete  one,  with 
clironometer  attachment.  It  had  sto])j)ed  at  10.27  a.m., 
April  10,  1892.  I  had  retired  April  9th,  so  the  v/atch 
had  run  until  next  morning.  As  I  had  been  asleep 
but  a  few  hours,  this  must  be  the  10th,  or  at  most  the 
11th.     I  would  go  into  the  city  for  dinner. 

The  first  thing  that  caught  my  eye  on  emerging  into 
the  open  air  was  my  own  house,  which  was  in  plain 
view.  It  looked  old  and  weatherbeaten.  Strange ! 
There  must  have  been  a  fearful  storm  the  past  night. 
But  no  evidence  of  a  recent  stoi-m  existed.  I  walked 
beyond  the  range  of  the  rocky  hill  and  looked  at  the 
city.  What  magic  was  this  ?  The  city  had  grown  away 
from  recognition  since  yesterday — not  a  familiar  land- 
mark in  sight !  Was  it  enchantment  f  Alas,  were  my 
eyes  ruined  ?  Had  the  Chemist  deceived  me,  or  was  he 
deceived  himself  f  Must  I  go  through  life  with  dis- 
torted vision  f 

As  I  gazed  in  bewilderment  upon  the  scene,  there 
arose  one  after  another  wliat  had  the  appearance  of 
chariots.  They  floated  off  gi-accfully  ui)on  the  air. 
This  was  confirmation  of  the  derangement  of  sight.  I 
well  knew  no  such  things  as  these  had  a  real  existence. 
Each  chariot  had  one,  tAvo,  or  four  occupants,  men, 
women,  and  children.  I  rubbed  my  eyes.  It  did  no 
good.  The  sounds  I  liad  heard  were  dying  away  in  the 
distance.  All  in  the  chariots  were  going  in  the  direc- 
tion whence  the  sounds  were  receding.     I  turned  to 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  73 

look,  but  the  hill  cut  off  my  view.  These  delusive 
sounds  and  sights  clearly  proved  that  my  eyes  and  ears 
were  sadly  deranged.     Was  I  a  hopeless  wi-eck  ? 

I  pinched  myself  to  ascertain  if  feeling  was  normal. 
It  was.  Good !  A  flower  was  near.  I  plucked  and 
smelled  it.  The  aroma  was  natiu'al.  Better !  I  was 
half  right  so  far.  Now  for  taste,  to  see  whether  the 
majority  of  senses  were  right  or  wrong.  I  neared  what 
to  my  disordered  vision  was  the  new  portion  of  the  city. 
I  stepped  with  care,  lest  some  trap  might  ensnare  my 
feet  or  the  illusion  vanish.  The  pavement  was  solid. 
The  fence  was  a  firm  fixture.  The  houses  and  streets 
were  substantial.  The  yards  in  front  of  the  nice  houses 
were  adorned  with  flowers  and  other  evidences  of  taste. 
No  need  to  pick  my  way  so  daintily.  No  fear  of  catas- 
trophe !  What  wonder  was  this  f  Where  were  the 
fabulous  stories  of  the  Arabian  Nights  ? 

Presently  a  newsboy  came  along  on  the  other  side 
of  the  street,  cryiug  out :  "  Here's  your  evening  paper ! 
All  aljout  the  great  battle  !  " 

The  boy  and  his  cry  were  natural.  But  what  about 
a  battle  ?  I  called  to  him  :  "  Here,  boy,  let  me  have  a 
paper."  He  ran  over  briskly.  I  received  a  copy  and 
opened  it — The  Ecenhuj  BulJeiin.  Then  my  eye  caught 
the  date  line — "April  9,  1927."  I  feared  my  eyes  were 
permanently  injui'ed.  Glancing  at  the  head  lines,  I 
read  in  bold  type  : 

"  GREATEST   BATTLE   OF   THE  WAR  NOW  IN  PROGRESS  ! 

IMMENSE   SLAUGHTER   ON   BOTH   SIDES  ! 

VICTORY  DOUBTFUL ! 

REINFORCEMENTS   HURRYING   FORWARD  ! 

VICTORY   OR   DEATH   THE   MOTTO   OF   EACH  ARMY  !  " 

These  stunning  sentences  fairly  took  my  breath. 
Vrh(n-c  was  I  ?    ILid  I  been  transported  to  some  foreign 


I  4  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

land  ?  Or  was  this  an  extension  of  my  liallucination  ? 
In  the  midst  of  mental  chaos  I  saw  anothei*  newsboy 
approaching, screaming,  "TAe Evenbuj  TeJ((jram !  Latest 
news  from  the  battle-field !  " 

I  had  enough  of  the  battle  until  I  knew  more  of  the 
facts.  Just  then  another  chariot  went  up.  I  inquired 
of  the  boy  what  those  vehicles  were  flying  in  the  air. 
He  looked  at  me  \vith  a  peculiar  facial  expression,  and 
said: 

'■'■  You  don't  fool  me,  mister !  " 

"  I  am  not  tr^^ng  to  fool  j'ou.  I  am  a  stranger  here, 
and  do  not  understand  the  half  of  what  I  see." 

He  gave  me  a  searching  gaze,  and  seeing  I  was  in 
earnest,  replied : 

"  You  must  be  a  stranger,  and  a  gTeeny,  too,  not  to 
know  what  them  things  is.     They  is  aii'-bugs." 

"Air-bugs?" 

"  Yas ;  that's  what  we  boys  calls  'em.  The  big  folks 
calls  'em  chariots  and  air-ships,  and  such  hifalutin 
names.     But  air-bugs  is  good  'nuff  for  us  boys." 

"What  are  they  like,  and  how  are  tliej'  made?"  I 
asked. 

"  Oh,  I  can't  'splain  them  matters.  Just  go  to  old 
]Mr.  Solon's  shops,  and  they'll  tell  you  all  about  'em. 
They  makes  the  things  there." 

Then  he  ran  away,  crying  the  Telegram. 

]\Ir.  Solon's  name  recalled  my  bewildered  senses  in  a 
measure.  I  called  after  the  boy  to  show  me  the  direc- 
tion to  the  shops. 

"  Five  blocks  aAvay,  right  over  there,"  he  said,  point- 
ing in  the  dii-ection  I  supposed  the  works  to  be  situated, 
if  all  this  was  not  a  di-eam.  Pressing  forward,  I  soon 
saw  a  sign  in  large  gilt  letters : 

"the   SOLON  MACHINE- WORKS." 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  75 

As  I  started  for  the  office,  my  eye  caught  this  legend 
on  a  building  beyond : 

"  Established  1870.     Rebuilt  1892.     Enlarged  1913." 

What  did  that  mean  ?  Were  my  eyes  still  deceiving 
me  ?  I  entered  the  office.  A  young  man  lifted  his  eyes 
from  the  ledger  and  gave  me  a  pleasant  recognition, 
then  resumed  his  labor.  As  soon  as  opportunity  offered 
I  inquired  for  Mr.  Solon.  The  man  appeared  to  be 
somewhat  surprised  at  the  question,  but  courteously 
answered : 

*'  Mr.  Solon  does  not  stay  at  the  works  now,  and  only 
visits  them  occasionally.  He  is  quite  feeble,  and  has 
practically  retired  fi'om  the  active  supervision  of  the 
plant.     Perhaps  I  can  serve  you  in  his  stead." 

*'Mr.  Solon  is  a  very  dear  friend.  I  should  much 
like  to  see  him.  But  you  can  enlighten  me  on  one  point. 
If  my  eyes  do  not  deceive,  I  see  what  appear  to  be  fly- 
ing chariots  in  the  air.  I  am  told  you  manufacture 
them.     What  are  they  ? " 

He  eyed  me  as  though  he  doubted  my  sanity,  and 
then  said : 

"Do  you  mean  the  chariots!" 

^'  I  presume  so.  Those  things  above  the  city.  Yon- 
der are  some  of  them,"  pointing  where  they  were. 

*^  Is  it  possible  you  do  not  know  what  those  are  ? 
We  name  ours,  air-chariots  and  aii'-ships,  according  to 
the  style  of  construction.  Sm-ely  you  must  l)e  famihar 
with  things  that  are  so  common  !  " 

I  was  greatly  confused,  and  felt  the  blood  of  shame 
rise  to  my  face  and  brow  as  I  replied : 

"  I  assure  you  I  never  saw  or  heard  of  them  until 
this  day.  It  may  appear  strange  and  inexplical)li>  to 
you  that  I  am  so  ignorant  of  what  seems  to  be  uni- 


76  LOOIONG  WITHIN. 

versally  known.  Please  regard  me  as  a  stranger  just 
returned  after  a  long  absence — a  lineal  descendant  of 
old  Kip  Van  Winkle,  if  you  will — and  instruct  me  as 
you  would  a  child." 

For  a  moment  he  appeared  to  doulit  my  sanity.  See- 
ing I  was  at  least  harmless,  he  inquired  what  I  par- 
ticularly desti-ed  to  know.     I  said  : 

"  All  there  is  to  learn.  To  me  these  chariots  are  a 
most  wonderful  invention." 

''  The  first  one  was  patented  some  fifteen  years  since. 
They  at  once  became  popular.  The  early  ones  made 
were  rather  crude ;  since  they  have  been  greatly  im- 
proved. They  are  made  of  aluminum,  the  lightest  and 
toughest  of  all  metals,  and  the  only  material  suitable 
for  the  pm-pose.  The  propelling  power  is  electricity 
combined  with  magnetism.  I  cannot  explain  the  proc- 
ess intelhgently,  as  that  is  not  in  my  line.  Come  and 
see  one  of  the  chariots.  You  will  thereby  get  a  better 
idea  of  its  construction," 

We  went  into  the  shop  devoted  to  their  budding  and 
examined  one  just  completed ;  then  followed  the  work- 
men, each  having  his  special  part  to  make,  and  witnessed 
the  process  of  putting  together.  It  was  a  revelation  to 
me.  When  finished,  the  costly  ones  were  remarkably 
handsome. 

There  was  a  dynamo  and  a  batter}'-.  A  circuit  was 
formed,  along  which  the  electricity  operated  by  manipu- 
lations I  did  not  understand.  This  was  the  motive 
power.  I  did  not  wish  to  further  expose  my  ignorance 
by  making  inquiries.  Eveiy  important  piece  of  the 
structure  was  hollow,  light,  and  airy.  I  could  lift  a 
chariot  from  the  gi'ound  capable  of  holding  two  persons. 
The  ships  were  the  same  except  in  shape.  When  in  mo- 
tion they  resembled  a  miniature  vessel  imder  fidl  sail. 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  77 

"  Is  it  a  usual  tiling-  for  so  many  of  these  vehicles  to 
be  in  the  air  at  one  time  as  I  see  to-day  f "  I  asked. 

"  No.  It  is  only  on  extraordinary  occasions  that  so 
many  go  up  at  a  time.  These  peoj^le  are  watching  the 
army  that  has  just  passed  through  the  city  on  its  way 
to  the  front." 

I  was  desirous  to  learn  something  about  the  war  and 
the  battle,  but  shrank  from  making  manifest  my  great 
ignorance.  If  I  could  only  get  to  Mr.  Solon  he  would 
instruct  me  without  wounding  my  sensitiveness.  I  in- 
quired how  far  it  was  to  his  residence.  He  said  about 
six  blocks,  and  that  he  would  accompany  me  there. 
AiTanging  his  books,  he  came  out,  and  we  found  a 
chariot  ready  in  response  to  directions  he  had  given 
when  in  the  shop.  We  stepped  in.  My  companion 
took  hold  of  the  polished  handle  to  a  lever,  moved  it 
forward  a  little,  and  held  it  steady.  There  was  a  slight 
noise,  then  motion.  Up  we  arose  and  moved  off.  At 
first  our  course  was  along  the  street  between  the  houses. 
Soon  we  ascended  above  the  tops  of  the  buildings  and 
shaped  our  course  at  pleasure.  The  action  was  easy, 
graceful,  and  pleasant.  In  a  few  minutes  we  descended 
and  halted  before  a  fine  mansion.     My  guide  said : 

"  This  is  Mr.  Solon's  residence.  I  ought  to  teU  you 
that  they  receive  few  visitors.  A  strange  thing  has 
happened  to  them.  Their  only  daughter,  a  most  es- 
timable and  lovely  young  lady,  is  either  dead  or  in  a 
trance,  and  has  been  so  for  many  years.  Nearly  every- 
body thinks  she  is  dead  and  ought  to  be  buried.  As 
there  are  no  signs  of  decay  and  her  appearance  is  natu- 
ral, her  parents  refuse  to  permit  or  even  think  of  this. 
I  mention  this  fact  to  prepare  you  for  any  peculiaiities 
that  may  attend  your  reception.  Mr.  Solon  is  a  perfect 
gentleman,  and  will  receive  and  treat  you  as  such." 


78  LOOKING  ^\T^HIN. 

Wliiit  omotions  wove  awakened  in  my  l)Osoin  by  this 
recital !  What  a  ilood  of  feeling  overwhelmed  me ! 
Kftie  possibly  dead  !  Had  my  protracted  absence  killed 
her  1  Fortunately,  no  time  was  given  for  long  agita- 
tion. While  my  heart  was  beating  tiunultuously  the 
3'oung  man  pressed  a  button  in  the  door-cheek  and  the 
nuisieal  notes  of  a  sweet-toned  bell  sounded  within. 
To  the  servant  who  answered  the  summons  my  friend 
said: 

"  Here  is  a  gentleman  who  wishes  to  see  Mr.  Solon. 
An  acquaintance,  I  believe,"  looking  inquiringly  at  me. 
I  assented.  I  had  forgotten  to  bring  mj^  card  with 
me.     The  servant  soon  returned  and  imited  me  in. 

As  I  entered  the  reception-room  an  aged  gentleman 
came  forward  to  receive  me.  ''What  name?"  he  in- 
quired. At  that  moment  the  light  fell  full  upon  my 
face,  and  he  exclaimed : 

"  James  North,  as  I  live !  And  we  have  moui-ned 
you  as  dead  these  many  years  !  " 

"  Yes,  it  is  I,"  I  replied. 

"  You  do  not  look  a  day  older  than  you  did  tlm-ty- 
five  years  ago,  when  you  so  suddenly  and  mj^steriously 
disappeared.     Where  have  you  been  all  these  years  ? " 

There  was  a  shade  of  reproach  in  these  last  words 
which  cut  to  the  heart.     I  responded : 

"My  story  is  a  strange  one — past  belief  in  all  re- 
spects. I  scarcely  know  whether  I  am  in  the  body  or 
out  of  it^ — whether  I  and  the  things  al)0ut  me  are  a 
reality  or  a  dream.  I  come  to  you  for  help.  You 
look  old,  and  speak  of  many  years.  It  seems  to  me 
but  a  day  since  we  parted.  Tell  me,  is  it  so  longf 
Have  I  reall}^  been  absent  thirty-five  years  ? " 

"  You  certainly  have.  It  was  1892  when  yon  left ;  it 
is  now  1927,  and  about  the  same  time  of  the  year." 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  79 

"  Then  it  is  no  fantasy  !  The  Chemist  was  right.  I 
have  been  sleeping  these  thirty-five  years — at  least, 
have  been  unconscious  all  that  time  !  " 

This  was  said  more  to  myself  than  to  Mr.  Solon.  He 
caiight  at  the  words  and  demanded  with  what  to  me 
seemed  needless  emphasis : 

"  What  is  that  you  say  about  the  Chemist  and  a  long- 
sleep  ?  Speak !  It  may  be  life  or  death  to  Efiie  !  Tell 
me  quickly  !  "  And  he  grasped  my  arm.  I  had  never 
seen  him  so  moved.  The  mention  of  Effie's  name  re- 
called what  the  j^oung  man  had  said.  I  was  as  gi-eatly 
agitated  as  her  father. 

In  as  few  words  as  possible  I  told  my  strange  and 
weird  experience.  At  its  conclusion  Mr.  Solon  ejacu- 
lated : 

"  Thank  God !  I  am  now  sure  Efiie  is  not  dead  but 
asleep." 

''Wliat  is  it  about  Effte?"  I  almost  demanded.  I 
was  too  profoundly  affected  to  stand  on  ceremony.  He 
answered : 

"  The  most  wonderful  thing  in  the  world !  Let  me 
commence  at  the  beginning.  You  remember  the  tragic 
event  which  terminated  the  life  of  the  Chemist.  While 
he  lay  upon  his  d^ang  bed  Effie's  kindness  to  him  won 
his  heart.  Her  presence  acted  as  a  solace.  Perhaps 
it  awakened  cherished  memories  of  other  days.  A 
little  time  before  his  death  he  took  from  his  pocket 
three  small  bottles  filled  with  a  transparent  liquid,  and 
gave  them  to  her,  saying : 

"  '  These  will  be  of  great  ser\T.ce  to  you.  This  liquid 
will  produce  quiet  and  restful  sleep  when  all  other 
means  fail.  One  drop  from  this  bottle  "v^ill  induce 
twelve  hours  of  i-efreshing  slumljer,  no  matter  how 
gi'eatly  the  nervous  system  nuiy  be  distm'ljed,  or  how 


80  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

persistent  tlie  insomuia.'  Of  another  bottle  he  said, 
'  This  will  produce  days  and  weeks  of  sleep.'  Of  the 
third  he  said,  '  This  will  cause  years  of  insensible  quiet. 
You  will  iind  dii'cctious  for  using  on  each  bottle.' 

"  Before  he  could  say  more  a  paroxysm  of  pain  seized 
him.     He  never  recovered  to  resume  the  subject. 

"Effie  tried  the  weakest  preparation  to  secure  rest 
with  pei-fect  success.  The  others  she  had  no  occasion 
to  test.  She  keenly  felt  your  absence  and  silence,  not- 
withstanding you  had  prepared  her  for  these.  8he 
never  doubted  you  for  a  moment.  Her  faith  in  you 
was  implicit.  She  did  not  despond.  She  strove  to  be 
cheerful  and  generally  succeeded.  Wliile  she  remained 
my  bookkeeper  the  occupation  of  mind  and  thought 
acted  as  an  antidote  to  depression.  Her  services  were 
of  great  value  to  me,  for  a  time  almost  indispensable. 
My  Inisiness  prospered  beyond  any  former  period.  At 
the  end  of  four  years  I  no  longer  needed  her,  and  was 
glad  to  relieve  her  from  the  labor  she  had  so  cheerfully 
given.  When  released  from  care  and  responsibility 
her  mind  was  fi'ee  to  think  of  herself.  Then  she  i-eal- 
ized  more  sensibly  your  absence.  She  said  little.  She 
was  mostly  bright  and  cheerful.  But  it  required  an 
effort;  it  was  not  tlie  spontaneous  outgoing  of  a  joj'ful 
spirit.  The  glad  songs  that  made  melody  in  the  house 
became  less  frequent ;  the  elastic  step  lost  its  buoy- 
ancy; the  bright  and  sunny  smile  only  occasionally 
lighted  her  face ;  the  eyes  lost  some  of  tlie  soul- 
light  from  their  depths;  the  delicate  peach-bloom 
was  driven  from  the  cheeks  l)y  the  pale  lily.  These 
changes  were  so  gradual  only  a  parent's  love  wt)ukl 
detect  them. 

"We  became  anxious,  lier  mother  especially.  She 
was  never  moody  or  morose,  only  pensive.     When  she 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  81 

saw  our  uneasiness,  she  rallied  and  tried  to  be  her  old 
self.  Even  this  cost  her  an  effort.  Our  sweet,  dear 
daughter  of  other  days  seemed  lost  to  us.  How  we 
longed  to  hear  from  you,  if  only  a  word  to  tell  us  all 
was  weU !  But  a  silence  hke  the  pall  of  death  hung 
over  your  fate.  There  was  no  gi-ound  of  assui-ance. 
Only  hope  remained.  And  on  what  a  slender  tlu-ead 
that  hung !  If  alive,  you  certainly  would  send  some 
message  during  all  these  years.  It  was  a  terrible 
strain  !  Effie's  faith  in  you  never  wavered,  but  of  your 
fate  she  could  but  be  in  doubt.  '  Hope  deferred  mak- 
eth  the  heart  sick.'  As  the  five  years'  limit  drew  on 
she  grew  more  anxious.  In  spite  of  the  striving  for 
self-composure  she  unconsciously  became  restless.  The 
effort  to  hide  her  feelings  tended  to  increase  the  unrest. 
One  day  her  mother  found  her  weeping  over  yom-  fare- 
well letter.  At  first  she  endeavored  to  hide  her  emo- 
tion, but  finally  broke  down  and  sobbed  on  her  mother's 
bosom,  saying,  '  Oh,  if  I  only  knew  that  James  is  alive  ! 
I  know  he  will  come  back  if  he  lives.  But  this  sus- 
pense is  terrible  !  I  do  not  know  how  long  I  shall  be 
able  to  bear  the  strain  ! ' 

"  That  evening  she  took  some  of  the  quieting  remedy. 
By  some  mistake  she  got  hold  of  the  wrong  bottle,  and 
feeling  more  than  usually  depressed  she  poured  out 
double  the  prescribed  quantity  and  swallowed  it.  Some- 
thing in  the  taste  or  action  of  the  medicine  arrested  her 
attention.  Looking  closely  at  the  bottle,  the  label  and 
directions  upon  which  had  become  dimmed,  she  said 
to  her  mother,  who  stood  by : 

"  'O  mother,  I  have  taken  from  the  wrong  bottle  !  It 
is  gi-eatly  stronger  than  the  other.  I  see  it  is  marked 
"Thii-ty"!  Wliat  if  it  should  be  thu-ty  days!  If  it 
should  be  thirty  years  do  not  let  me  be  buried.     They 


82  LOOKING  ^^^THrN^ 

may  say  I  am  dead,  but  I  shall  not  be.  If  an^'tliing  is 
wroug,  promise  me  that  I  shall  not  be  i)iit  in  the 
grave  nntil  decay  tells  that  I  am  certainly  dead.' 

"  *  Rest  assured,  dear,  yon  shall  not  be  bm'ied  so 
long  as  there  is  a  hope  that  life  remains,  if  it  is  thirty 
or  fifty  years.' 

"  '  Thank  you,'  she  said,  holding  her  mother's  hand. 
'■  I  feel  wondi'ously  strange  !  Something  seems  to  take 
hold  of  me  all  over.  I  am  completely  in  its  power. 
It  is  gentle  and  soothing,  mysterious ' 

"  The  words  died  on  her  lips,  and  in  a  moment  she 
was  unconscious.  She  remains  so  to  this  horn*.  We 
have  been  in  tribulation;  but  yom*  experience  gives 
me  hope.     It  lifts  a  bm'den  from  my  mind." 

I  had  listened  with  Ijreathless  interest.  My  soul 
was  on  the  rack.  The  intensity  of  feeling  was  almost 
unendurably  painful.  I  paced  the  floor  in  distress, 
bitterly  reproaching  myself  for  causing  Eifie  such  suf- 
fering. Was  she  dead  or  only  asleep  ?  The  intensity 
of  feeling  caused  me  to  tremble  vaih.  fear  even  in  the 
face  of  my  own  experience.  A  feeling  of  dread  came 
over  me.  Had  I  murdered  the  one  being  who  could 
make  my  life  worth  the  li\ing  ?  The  thought  was  too 
terrible.  I  could  not  endiu-e  it.  As  soon  as  the  nai*- 
rative  was  ended,  I  inquired : 

''  Where  is  Effie  now  ?     Can  I  see  her  ? " 

"  I  will  call  her  mother.  She  can  answer  you  better 
than  I." 

In  response  to  the  call  Mrs.  Solon  entered  the  room. 
She  was  startled  to  find  me  there.  In  the  words  of 
her  husband,  she  said : 

"  Not  a  day  older !  How  impossil)le  it  seems  !  Yes, 
you  may  come  with  me  and  see  Elfie." 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  83 

I  followed  her  up  to  Effie's  room.  No  pen  can  de- 
scribe my  emotions.  My  soul  was  moved  to  its  ut- 
most depths.  Had  Effie  passed  beyond  the  reach  of 
mortal  fear  or  hope?  Was  I  left  stricken,  smitten, 
alone  in  the  world  1  Or  was  there  hfe  and  hope  and 
bliss  for  me  f 


CHAPTER   XrV^. 

I  WAS  boni  OH  tlie  9th  day  of  April,  1865,  the  daj- 
that  General  Lee  surrendered  the  army  of  Northern 
Virginia  to  General  Grant,  and  thus  ended  the  cruel 
War  of  the  Rebellion.  I  had  placed  the  destiny  of 
my  life  at  the  disposal  of  Efiie  Solon  on  the  9th  of 
April,  1891,  and  was  accepted  by  her  to  my  unspeak- 
able happiness.  It  was  on  the  9th  day  of  April,  1892, 
that  I  retu-ed  from  the  world  and  commenced  the  long 
sleep. 

And  now,  after  the  most  remarkable  experience  that 
ever  befell  the  lot  of  mortal,  I  was  about  to  meet  that 
loved  one  again,  after  the  separation  of  an  ordinary 
lifetime,  under  circumstances  so  strange  and  unnatm-al 
as  to  be  past  belief,  but  of  such  thriUiiig  interest  as  to 
absorb  all  the  faculties  of  soid  and  body. 

I  had  not  j^et  ascertained  the  exact  length  of  time 
Effie  had  been  unconscious;  neither  had  I  taken  ac- 
count myself  of  the  present  date.  While  I  had  seen 
it  on  the  evening  paper,  and  possibly  might  have 
heard  it  mentioned,  I  was  so  confused  and  confounded 
then  that  it  made  no  lasting  impression  upon  me. 
Now  I  stood  on  the  In-ink  of  destiny,  with  the  quiver- 
ing balances  of  fate  poised  in  trembling  doubt  before 
me.  Life  or  death.  Shall  I  step  into  the  light  of  one 
or  plunge  into  the  darkness  of  the  other  ? 

Mrs.  Solon  preceded  me  to  the  bedside.  There  lay 
the  idol  of  my  heart,  still  and  motionless  as  if  ah*eady 

84 


LOOKING  WITHIN. 


85 


coffined  for  the  gi-ave.  So  pale  and  silent !  The  first 
thought  was  of  death.  It  smota  me  as  a  blow  from 
some  nuseeu  power.  A  closer  scrutiny  of  the  match- 
less features  revealed  them  apparently  unchanged  in 
every  respect,  save  the  pallor  of  which  her  father  had 
spoken. 

"  How  natural !  "  I  exclaimed. 

"Exactly  as  she  looked  when  she  closed  her  eyes 
thirty  years  ago,"  said  her  mother. 

"So  long  as  that?  Do  you  remember  the  exact 
date  ? " 

"I  do.     It  was  April  9,  1897,  in  the  evening." 

"Is  not  this  April  9th — to-day,  I  mean?" 

"  I  believe  it  is.     I  had  not  thought  of  it  before." 

"  What  time  in  the  evening  did  that  occur  ? "  I  asked. 

"  Being  depressed  and  weary,  she  had  prepared  to  re- 
tii'e  for  the  night  a  little  earlier  than  usual,  I  think." 

"  It  will  be  thirty  years,  then,  in  a  short  time,  when 
she  ought  to  awake,  if  nothing  is  wrong." 

"  Do  you  think  she  will  come  to  life  ?  " 

"  In  the  light  of  my  exj)erience,  yes." 

"  It  seems  impossible." 

"  Did  not  the  ancient  Egyptians  embalm  the  bodies 
of  their  dead  so  as  to  preserve  them  for  thousands  of 
years  ?  If  a  dead  body  can  be  kept  for  centuries,  can- 
not a  body  which  retains  all  the  life-forces  be  preserved 
for  thirty  years  ?  The  life  principle  ought  to  keep  it 
from  decay  so  long  as  it  remains,  even  if  in  a  dormant 
state." 

"Looking  at  it  in  that  light,  it  does  seem  possi- 
ble. I  have  wavered  between  hope  and  fear  aU  these 
years." 

"  The  dread  suspense  will  soon  be  over.  If  she  is 
not  dead,  life  will  manifest  itself  this  night,  unless  there 


86  LOdKIN'd    WITHIN*. 

has  been  some  mistake  <»r  iiiiscalculation.  If  she  does 
not  awaken,  hope  is  gone.  Her  appearanee  is  favor- 
able. She  resembles  one  asleep,  not  one  deceased. 
Only  the  unbreathing  inaction  and  the  white  face  point 
to  dissolntion.     There  are  no  signs  of  decomposition." 

"  That  is  what  has  kept  me  from  ntter  despair.'' 

We  lapsed  into  silence.  I  wondered  why  or  how 
Eflfie  had  selected  my  bh-thday  for  this  sleep.  As  she 
had  only  intended  to  be  at  rest  for  a  few  honrs,  this 
must  have  been  a  mere  coincidence  without  design.  I 
was  not  certain  she  knew  that  April  9th  was  my  natal 
day.  Had  He,  without  wliom  not  a  sparrow  falleth, 
shaped  these  events  f 

The  evening  shadows  had  now  gathered ;  the  lights 
had  been  turned  on.  At  most,  two  hoiu's  of  waiting 
suspense  !  I  craved  the  pri\Tlege  of  holding  the  posi- 
tion by  the  bedside  nearest  my  beloved.  This  privilege 
naturally  belonged  to  her  parents  j  but  they  were  so 
changed  by  age,  Eifie  might  not  recognize  them.  I 
was  the  same.  My  request  was  readily  granted.  Mr. 
Solon  remained  below;  the  mother  and  I  were  sole 
watchers  in  that  mysterious  presence.  At  first  we 
conversed  in  subdued  tones.  The  strain  upon  nerve, 
brain,  and  heart  was  too  great.  Voices  were  husliod. 
Silence  reigned.  The  stillness  became  intense.  Though 
we  breathed  lightly,  this  seemed  to  fill  the  room  with 
sound.  I  could  hear  my  own  heart-beats ;  I  fancied  I 
heard  those  of  my  companion. 

The  hands  of  the  clock  pointed  to  nine.     The  crisis 

was  at  hand !    Effie  would  soon  re^^ve  or I  woidd 

not  put  the  alternative.  I  coidd  not  endure  the  thought. 
The  profound  quiet  without  and  within  was  alike.  All 
nature  appeared  to  be  in  sjanpathy  with  us  in  this  hour 
of  supreme  triid. 


LOOKING   WITHIN.  87 

Nine  o'clock !  I  arose  and  stood  in  breatliless  ex- 
pectancy where  the  eyes  of  the  sleeper  would  open  upon 
me  first  of  all.  No  sign  of  life !  The  ticking  of  the 
clock  marked  the  seconds.  They  seemed  to  be  hours ; 
ages  were  compressed  into  miuutes.  How  long  must 
this  agony  last  1  Half-jjast  nine  !  No  change.  Could 
soul  and  body  endure  this  tension  without  snapping 
asunder  the  chords  of  life  ?  Nine  forty-five !  Death 
still  reigned  supreme.  A  pressure  gathered  about 
my  heart ;  I  feared  for  a  moment  it  would  stop  its 
pulsations. 

Then  I  suddenly  remembered  Mr.  Solon  had  said 
that  Effie  poured  out  a  double  dose  when  she  took  the 
potion.  Horrible  thought !  Would  she  sleep  thirty 
years  more  ?  The  suggestion  sent  a  chill  through  me 
like  ice.  I  mentioned  my  fears  to  Mrs.  Solon.  She  was 
startled.  Could  it  ))e  possible  ?  I  paced  the  room  with 
clasped  hands  and  aching  brain.  Must  I  wait  thirty 
years  longer?   It  could  not  be  !    O  God,  spare  me  this  ! 

One  minute  to  ten  !  Something  drew  me  to  the  bed- 
side. I  stood  there  with  eyes  riveted  on  the  face  of  the 
lovely  sleeper.  Oh,  if  life  would  only  return!  As  I 
gazed  with  bended  heac\  I  fancied  there  was  a  quiver 
of  the  eyelids.  Was  it  more  than  fancy?  A  moment 
longer  and  there  were  slight  twitchings  on  face  and 
brow.  Another  second  and  the  eyes  opened,  then 
closed.  No  recognition.  It  seemed  an  eon,  but  was 
only  a  moment.  The  eyes  opened  again.  A  twilight 
pause.  Then  full  intelligence  shone  in  eye  and  face. 
I  was  bending  low  over  her.     One  word  she  uttered : 

"  James ! " 

"  0  Effie,  Etfie  !  "  was  my  enraptured  response.  Then 
with  an  irresistible  impulse  I  rained  kisses  on  brow  and 
face  and  lips,  and  pressed  my  cheek  to  hers. 


88  LOOKINrj   WITHIN. 

Mrs.  Solon  gave  a  faint  scream,  wliicli  brought  Mr. 
Solou  upon  tlie  scene.  The  joy  of  that  hour  was  too 
sacred  tV)r  other  eyes  to  see  or  ears  to  hear. 

Efl&e's  first  words  of  observing  composure  were : 

"  How  okl  father  and  mother  h)ok  !  I  surely  have 
been  asleep  but  a  few  hours,  yet  they  have  the  appeai'- 
ance  of  gi-eat  age." 

Her  experience  was  such  an  exact  counteii)art  of  my 
own  it  need  not  l)e  repeated. 

Presently  oiu*  long  fast  was  broken  by  partaking  of 
an  appropriate  repast.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Solon  retired. 

Effie  and  1,  having  had  sleep  enough  to  last  us  at 
least  another  twenty-four  hom-s,  spent  the  night  in  con- 
verse so  full  of  all  that  was  exciting  and  endearing  that 
morning  came  all  too  quickly  for  our  joy.  It  was  a 
bright  spot  in  memory.  She  accepted  the  explanation 
of  my  retirement.  If  she  thought  the  act  unreasonable 
or  nil  justifiable,  she  did  not  say  so.  We  were  too  happy 
for  anything  but  thanksgiving  and  love. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Effie  and  I  were  the  lions  of  the  day  after  the  story 
of  our  long  sleep  became  known.  Scientists,  philoso- 
phers, ministers — all  classes  desired  to  see  us,  to  talk 
with  and  about  us.  The  ubiquitous  reporters  were 
gi'eedy  to  be  first  to  get  the  facts.  The  notoriety  was 
exceedingly  unpleasant  and  annoying,  but  had  to  be 
endured.  Persons  came  hundreds  of  miles  to  see  us. 
Aside  from  a  knowledge  of  the  Chemist's  wonder- 
ful discovery,  they  learned  nothing  to  pay  for  their 
trouble. 

I  was  deeply  anxious  to  learn  the  facts  concerning 
the  war  and  other  things  which  had  startled  me  since 
my  return  to  life.  I  knew  I  could  rely  upon  JMr.  Solon's 
ripe  experience,  calm  judgment,  and  wide  information, 
and  lost  no  time  in  seeking  from  him  the  desired 
knowledge. 

The  gi-eat  battle  near  Chicago  was  undecided.  A 
cessation  of  fighting  had  taken  place  by  agi*eement  of 
both  armies,  each  side  waiting  for  reinforcements  which 
were  being  pushed  forward.  The  dead  also  had  to  be 
buried  and  the  wounded  cared  for.     I  inquired : 

''  What  is  all  this  fighting  about  ?  How  long  has  the 
war  been  in  progress  ? " 

"  Your  two  questions  will  require  two  answers,"  said 
Mr.  Solon.  "What  the  fighting  is  about  the  wisest 
philosopher  may  not  be  aT)le  to  tell.  The  causes  which 
have  led  up  to  this  sad  and  deplorable  event  may  be 

80 


90  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

named.  You  remember  the  ajj^itation  of  the  hibor-and- 
capital  subject  years  ago.  As  one  result  of  it  my  prop- 
erty was  burned  down.  That  was  a  mere  incident, 
however.  There  were  liuiidreds  of  others,  some  like 
it,  others  different,  but  all  having  the  same  common 
origin. 

"The  laboring  classes  had  real  grievances  which 
were  not  proi^erly  recognized  and  redressed,  largely 
because  they  were  too  impatient  to  await  the  remedy. 
At  times  they  were  wild  and  unreasonable  in  their  de- 
mands. Capitalists  M^ere  made  to  feel  that  the  woi-king 
people  were  their  enemies,  and  hence  that  tliey  must  be 
on  the  alert  to  defend  themselves.  You  remember  the 
incipient  stages  of  this  antagonism.  It  was  marked 
on  one  side  by  strikes,  on  the  other  by  lockouts,  etc.  I 
need  not  rehearse  the  history.  Instead  of  bridging  the 
chasm  between  the  employer  and  the  emplo3'ed  when 
it  was  small  and  could  easily  have  been  done  by  proper 
and  mutual  concessions,  the  antagonism  was  permitted 
to  gi'ow  and  increase  until  it  became  a  wide  and  deep 
gulf,  which  it  now  appears  impossible  to  bridge  over 
or  pass. 

"For  years  it  was  thought  the  great  conservative 
population,  termed  the  middle  classes,  composed  largely 
of  farmers,  well-to-do  mechanics,  and  successful  labor- 
ing men,  woidd  hold  society  to  its  moorings,  and  i)re- 
vent  any  widespread  violence.  But  this  stay  has  been 
swept  away. 

"The  farmers,  who  were  not  succeeding  as  well  as 
they  thought  they  ought  to  succeed,  became  dissatisfied, 
and  formed  organizations  of  their  own,  secret  and  oatli- 
bound  in  character.  The  object  at  first  was  to  assist 
and  benefit  themselves  as  a  class.  Afterward  these  be- 
came political  bodies,  planning  in  secret  for  the  destnic- 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  91 

tion  of  those  whom  they  regarded  as  in  any  manner 
opposed  to  them.  Their  former  staid  characteristics 
appeared  to  leave  them  as  soon  as  they  became  agi- 
tators. Action  and  reaction  being  equiil,  tliey  swung 
away  from  their  former  stabiUty  to  the  opposite  ex- 
treme, and  became  the  most  violent  and  extreme  of  the 
discontented  population.  No  other  class  of  people 
proposed  and  advocated  more  radical,  extreme,  and 
visionary  schemes.  Nor  was  any  other  class  more 
selfish  in  its  demands.  Their  aims  were  all  for  their 
own  benefit,  regardless  of  the  interests  and  rights  of 
others.  High  prices  for  their  products,  no  matter  what 
the  cost  to  consumers,  nor  how  great  the  hardships 
imposed  upon  the  laboring  poor.  This,  however,  was 
characteristic  of  all  other  classes  of  agitators  and  pro- 
ducers. 

''For  a  time  tliere  was  an  effort  made  to  unite  all  the 
laboring  elements  in  one  combination.  But  the  com- 
mon laborer,  who  depended  alone  upon  his  day's  wages 
for  a  living,  soon  learned  that  he  was  always  a  buyer 
and  never  a  seller  of  the  products  of  labor.  Hence,  if 
he  aided  the  farmer  to  obtain  high  prices  for  his  gi-ain 
and  produce,  he  thereby  increased  the  cost  of  his  own 
living.  He  was  between  two  fires,  the  manufacturer 
on  one  side,  the  farmer,  including  stockraiser,  on  the 
other.  If  he  aided  either  one  of  these  to  advance  prices, 
he  taxed  himself  to  pay  the  increase.  Why  should  he 
do  this  ?  The  manufacturer  told  him  that  competition 
gave  him  the  lowest  possible  prices  for  his  goods 
and  wares ;  that  his  true  policy  was  to  increase  and 
strengthen  manufactories,  for  by  so  doing  he  not  only 
cheapened  the  prices  of  the  articles  he  consumed,  but 
at  the  same  time  multiplied  the  number  of  employees 
and  the   certainty  of  finding  constant   employjnent. 


92  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

This  looked  reasonable.  But  some  farmers  and  others 
came  alon*!,-  and  told  him  to  open  comjjetition  to  th(' 
world,  therein'  widening  the  field  of  operations  and 
gaining  new  markets.  Let  the  world,  and  not  simi)ly 
the  United  States,  be  the  theater  of  action.  The  others 
said :  '  If  you  do  this  you  compel  oui-  laborers  to  com- 
pete with  the  almost  pauper  labor  of  the  Old  World. 
You  cannot  control  their  markets  or  have  any  voice  in 
their  domestic  or  national  policy.  You  simply  i)lace 
yourselves  at  the  mercy  of  those  who  have  no  care  for 
you,  and  over  whom  you  have  no  control.  You  had 
better  keep  your  interests  confined  to  your  own  coun- 
try, over  whose  government  and  policy  you  can  exer- 
cise supervision,  and  not  give  away  your  birthright  for 
a  mess  of  pottage,  and  the  pottage  become  sour  before 
you  eat  it.'  The  other  side  replied :  '  Such  a  view  is 
narrow  and  is  only  devised  in  tlie  interest  of  the  few 
at  the  expense  of  the  many.'  So  the  contention  pro- 
ceeded. It  already  existed  in  your  day,  and  only  be- 
came w^armer  and  more  bitter  with  the  increasing 
heat. 

"  The  laboring  classes  became  bewildered  and  di- 
vided. There  nuist  always  be  a  buyer  for  everything 
sold.  As  there  are  more  purchasers  than  producers,  it 
looked  as  though  the  buyers  and  the  sellers  would  be 
the  natural  antagonists.  This  would  have  placed  aU 
producers,  manufacturers,  farmers,  miners,  etc.,  on  one 
side,  and  all  strict  consumers  or  wage-earners  only,  on 
the  other  side.  This  project  was  started.  But  it  fell 
to  pieces  for  the  reason  that  many  producers  were  also 
consumers,  and  every  consumer  a  producer.  Tlie 
problem  was  too  intricate  for  solution.  Even  the  day- 
laborer  was  a  necessary  adjunct  to  i)ro(lnetion,  while 
he  was  a  constant  consumer.     It  was  found  impossible 


LOOKING   ^\'ITH1N,  93 

to  untangie  the  inter-involved  skein.  Society  is  too 
much  a  unit  for  any  clear-cut  division  of  its  parts. 

''  One  of  the  worst  features  of  the  whole  controversy 
was  that  arising  from  the  fraudulent  methods  devised 
by  capitalists  to  increase  their  wealth  at  the  expense 
of  the  masses.  Not  satisfied  with  the  slow  and  steady 
processes  of  lawfid  and  legitimate  accumulations,  they 
resorted  to  watering  stocks,  combining  in  trusts,  syndi- 
cates, and  forcing  markets,  and  fixing  prices.  They 
were  '  in  haste  to  be  rich,'  and  so  fell  into  snares.  The 
stocks  of  railways  and  other  corporations  were  watered 
from  two  to  ten  times  their  real  value.  The  excess 
went  into  the  coffers  of  the  rich  manii^ulators.  The 
people  were  taxed  to  pay  the  interest  and  dividends  on 
the  fraudulent  increase  of  stock.  Railroad  fares  and 
freight  rates  must  be  enhanced  to  meet  this  manifold 
multiplication  of  fictitious  capital.  Thus  all  the  prod- 
uce of  the  country  was  compelled  to  pay  tiibute  to 
the  railroad  princes.  Those  who  reaped  the  benefits 
of  tins  class  of  transactions  did  not  put  their  own 
money  into  the  investments,  but  sold  the  added  stock 
to  other  parties,  who  were  denominated  *  innocent  pur- 
chasers,' or  holders  of  the  same,  who  must  be  protected 
in  their  rights,  and  were  so  protected  by  the  courts. 

''  You  can  readily  see  what  a  vast  field  for  fraud  was 
here  opened.  Practically  there  was  no  limit  to  its 
dimensions.  Its  boundaries  embraced  nearly  every- 
thing. The  people  rightfully  complained  of  the  bur- 
dens of  taxation  thus  illegitimately  placed  upon  them 
by  these  gigantic  schemes  of  capital  fraudulently  used. 
It  was  a  ground  of  complaint  against  which  there  was 
no  defense.  It  was  practical  robbery  on  one  side,  and 
being  robbed  on  the  other. 

"  I  give  it  as  my  oi^inion,  whether  it  is  good  or  worth- 


94  LOOKING  \viTmx. 

less,  that  if  Congi'ess  and  tlie  States  had  passed  acts 
outlawiii*;'  all  watered  stocks,  aud  giviug  the  holders, 
if  they  really  were  'iiiuocent  pm-chasers '  of  the  same, 
the  right  to  trace  up  the  matter  and  get  their  money 
wherever  it  could  he  found,  the  same  as  stolen  goods 
are  restored  to  the  owner  when  traced  to  any  hands, 
and  so  compelled  the  millionaires  to  disgorge  their  ill- 
gotten  gains,  such  action  would  have  largely  tended  to 
quiet  the  discontent,  allay  the  agitation,  and  prevented 
the  present  deplorable  condition  of  affairs. 

"But  this  was  not  done.  The  demagogue's  cry, 
'The  rich  are  growing  richer  and  the  poor  poorer,' 
gained  force  and  plaiisiljility  l)y  these  vast  accumula- 
tions of  wealth  through  illegal  means.  Capital  finally 
became  so  potent  that  it  was  said  to  '  control  legislation 
and  own  the  courts.'  At  first  this  was  a  mere  })lay  upon 
words.  Ultimately  it  became  apparently  a  truth  of 
history.  The  masses  became  more  and  more  indignant. 
Agitators  were  in  the  zenith  of  theii'  glory.  No  one 
could  foretell  the  futiu-e. 

''This  was  the  development  on  the  side  of  capital. 
I  mean  of  illegitimate  capital;  for  that  which  was 
actually  employed,  putting  down  dollar  for  dollar  f<^r 
all  it  occupied  and  sought  retui'us,  was  consei-vative 
and  dreaded  agitation  and  anarchy.  The  great  mistake 
of  the  laboring  classes  was  in  not  properly  discriminat- 
ing between  true  capital,  their  real  and  best  friend, 
and  the  false  capital  that  defrauded  and  oppressed 
them. 

"On  the  side  of  labor  the  conflicting  elements  for 
a  time  seemed  to  preclude  the  possibility  of  united 
effort.  The  cry  against  capital  was  too  ill  defined  to  be 
successfully  maintained.  '  Who  is  a  capitalist  ? '  was 
asked,  with  an  assurance  that  no  conclusive  answer 


LOOKING   WITHIN.  95 

could  be  given.  Tlie  man  with  a  million  dollars  was 
envied  l)y  him  who  had  but  a  hundred  thousand  ;  the 
latter  by  him  who  had  but  ten  thousand ;  and  he  by 
the  one  with  a  single  thousand ;  while  the  last  was  en- 
vied by  him  who  had  a  hundred,  and  so  on  till  the  one 
who  had  a  single  dollar  was  envied  by  him  who  had 
nothing.  Where  did  capital  begin  or  end  ?  How  could 
elements  thus  at  variance  l)e  merged  into  one  common 
cause "?     Where  could  the  line  of  division  be  drawn "? 

''  I  think  no  one  has  or  can  solve  this  proljlem.  The 
cry  of  '  capital/  '  monopoly/  '  tyranny/  '  robbery/  '  op- 
pression/ and  the  like,  were  all  made  to  play  a  part. 
But  the  real  secret  of  the  success  of  the  disorganizing 
movement  is  to  be  found  in  the  desire,  growing 
stronger  and  wider  every  year,  to  (jet  somefJiiiKj  for 
notliing.  That  desire  used  to  manifest  itself  in  the 
pui'chase  of  lottery  tickets,  in  the  various  gambling 
devices,  in  getting  goods  at  less  than  cost  or  than 
their  true  value,  in  catching  at  eveiy  chance  adver- 
tised, whether  by  responsible  persons  or  otherwise,  to 
get  something  valuable  without  paying  an  equivalent 
for  it.  Rascals  and  swindlers  took  advantage  of  this 
characteristic  of  human  nature,  and  pandei-ed  to  it 
by  advertising  schemes  to  secure  plunder.  Merchants 
catered  to  it  by  proclaiming  forced  sales,  bankrupt 
stocks,  foreclosure  sales,  and  any  and  all  other  devices 
which  could  be  invented  to  secure  customers.  I  need 
not  linger  to  recount  all  these  phases  of  public  taste 
and  desire.  I  do  not  pretend  to  be  philosopher  enough 
to  analyze  all  the  elements  which  have  contributed 
their  parts  to  form  the  great  combination  that  is  now 
m  arms.  I  think  all  I  have  named  can  be  counted  on 
as  contributing  to  the  sum  total. 

"  This  one  thing  I  may  say,  that  finally  the  discord- 


90  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

nut  ek'Hients  ^ivw  slionger  and  more  miincrous.  The 
atti'cietioii  of  imnibcrs  became  a  foi-ee.  Niiml)tTS  gave 
influence.  Demagogues  were  drawn  to  the  source  and 
center  of  power.  Better  men  were  also  influeni^ed  by 
different  motives  to  join  the  procession.  Weight  of 
numbers  and  incessant  activity  gave  momentum  to 
each  movement.  One  of  the  mysteries  connected  with 
this  whole  business,  which  I  have  observed  from  its 
inception  to  the  present  hour,  is  this :  that  while  the 
universal  cry  of  all  the  agitators  was  for  '  reform,'  yet 
there  was  not  an  unsuccessful  rascal  in  the  whole 
country  that  did  not  join  in  the  cry.  More  remark- 
able and  inexplicable  is  tliis  other  fact,  that  these 
rascals  became  leaders  in  reform  movements,  and  the 
loudest  to  denounce  those  who  had  been  more  success- 
ful in  life,  whether  these  latter  were  honest  or  dis- 
honest ;  for,  as  I  have  previously  said,  numy  of  the 
wealthiest  of  men  were  really  the  greatest  rascals  in 
tlie  land ;  and  but  for  them  and  their  fraudulent 
methods  and  opi)ressive  acts,  there  never  could  have 
existed  the  i)resent  condition  of  aifau's.  Now  it  looks 
\ery  much  as  if  all  the  accunuilated  wealth  of  the 
natiou  woidd  be  swept  away,  and  the  rich  rol)bers  be- 
come the  victims  of  popular  frenzy.  The  end  no  one 
can  see,  but  the  outlook  is  gloomy  and  unpromising." 

"  How  are  matters  in  Europe  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Ah,  you  have  been  out  of  the  world  so  long.  I  had 
forgotten  that  fact  for  the  moment.  This  upheaval 
began  in  the  Old  World.  There  were  real  grounds 
for  the  uprising  there.  The  people,  having  been  held 
as  little  better  than  sei-fs  from  time  out  of  mind,  had 
the  right  to  assert  their  maidiood,  denuind  its  recog- 
nition, and  sonu'  opportunities  to  make  life  worth  the 
li\ing.     The  land  there,  as  you  know,  was  nearly  all 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  97 

held  by  nobles,  whose  estates  were  entailed  and  could 
not  be  alienated  or  divided  among  the  heii's.  The  peo- 
ple had  no  fair  chance.  Only  the  most  resolute  and 
fortunate  could  succeed.  It  was  not  so  in  this  coun- 
try. The  laborer  of  yesterday  was  the  miUionaire  of 
to-da3\  The  millionaire  of  this  generation  or  his  chil- 
dren became  tlie  laborer  or  laborers  of  the  next.  The 
wheel  of  fortune  made  changes  with  every  revolution 
The  agitators  from  the  Old  World  placed  the  capital- 
ists of  America  on  the  same  footing  as  the  hereditary 
lords,  dukes,  princes,  etc.,  and  denounced  them  as 
roundly.  These  foreign  agitators  were  the  originators 
and  fomenters  of  the  discontent  and  disorder  here. 
Others,  catching  up  their  ideas  and  theories,  aided 
them.     But  I  am  digressing. 

"  Europe  is  revolutionized.  It  is  ahnost  a  vast  and 
bloody  desolation.  London  and  Paris  are  in  ashes. 
St.  Petersburg,  Berlin,  Vienna,  and  other  cities  are 
heaps  of  ruins.  Monarchy  is  dead.  Alas,  that  an- 
archy was  not  buried  with  the  thrones  of  kings  and 
desi)ots !  Nobilities  are  blotted  out.  The  people  are 
in  p(jwer ;  but  they  are  not  using  then*  power  wisely. 
In  every  nation  it  has  been  too  nearly  a  repetition  of 
the  French  revolution  of  1793 ;  in  some  respects, 
worse ;  more  property  has  been  destroyed.  Discord, 
and  social  and  poUtical  chaos,  prevailed  almost  every- 
where for  a  time.  Good  order  is  not  j^et  restored. 
England  and  Germany  appear  to  be  faring  better  than 
the  other  countries.  Russia  has  been  little  better  than 
a  wide  field  of  murder,  rapine,  l^rutality,  and  cruelty. 
She  became  a  ghastly  charnel-house,  and  is  not  yet 
gi'eatly  improved.     Italy  much  the  same." 

"  And  what  is  the  real  situation  at  home  f "  I  queried. 
"How  could  war  be  inaugurated  on  our  soil?     What 


98  LO(JKlX(i    WITHIN. 

were  the  authorities  ahout,  and  what  are  they  doing 
now  ? " 

"You  are  quite  an  interrogation  point;  but  I  will 
try  to  answer  your  (questions  in  a  body.  The  leaders 
of  the  great  politieal  parties  coquetted  with  the  agi- 
tatoi's.  Especially  was  this  the  case  where  one  party 
was  strong  and  the  other  weak.  The  latter  usually 
sought  an  alliance  whereby  to  secure  the  spoils  of 
office,  and  readily  coalesced  with  anything  to  gain  this 
end.  The  spoils  system  as  abused  was  at  the  bottom 
of  nearly  all  oiu*  political  evils.  This  action  of  the 
political  leaders  gave  the  demagogues  an  importance 
and  influence  they  othei'wise  never  coidd  have  at- 
tained. Party  ties  were  broken,  or  so  loosened  as  to 
retain  but  little  hold  upon  the  voter.  The  cohesive 
force  of  political  organizations  was  shattered.  Under 
some  circumstanees  this  might  not  have  been  an  evil, 
possibly  a  blessing;  but  with  the  disintegTating  ele- 
ments permeating  society  and  politics,  the  tendency 
was  toward  anarchy,  and  could  scarcely  lead  in  any 
other  dii'ectiou.  The  antagonism  was  between  stabil- 
ity and  revolution.  Reform,  because  of  its  use  as  a 
term  to  cover  all  kinds  of  conniption  and  venality,  be- 
came a  by- word,  a  mockery.  Still  it  was  employed  to 
delude  the  unthinking  and  discontented.  The  rogues 
of  all  parties  who  desired  office,  and  could  obtain  noth- 
ing on  their  merits,  resorted  to  shams  under  the  name 
of  reform  to  win  their  way.  The  unfortunate,  the  dis- 
contented, the  lazy  and  indolent,  and  all  who  desired  to 
get  something  for  nothing,  were  attracted  by  the  plausi- 
l)le  theories  of  deceivers,  and  flocked  to  their  standard. 
All  who  claimed  that  the  'world  owed  them  a  liv- 
ing,' whether  they  earned  it  or  not,  l)ecame  'reformers.' 
Thus  it  transpired  that  the  disaffected,  the  ilisappointed. 


LOOKING   WITHIN.  99 

soured,  aud  morose  elements  of  society,  no  matter 
from  what  cause,  drifted  into  the  ranks  of  those  who 
made  great  pretensions  and  promises,  and  predicted 
a  political  millennium  when  they  came  into  power. 
Finally  these  carried  a  few  States.  The  measures  they 
advocated  and  the  laws  they  enacted  were  not  calcu- 
lated to  increase  confidence  in  their  methods  or  them- 
selves. But  those  with  sores  of  real  or  imaginary 
grievances  still  ralUed  under  the  banner  of  large  pre- 
tensions, however  barren  of  fruit. 

"In  the  last  presidential  campaign,  that  of  1924, 
they  elected  their-  President  and  a  majority  of  the 
Lower  House  of  Congress,  the  Senate  having  a  major- 
ity the  other  way.  They  tried  to  pass  Utopian  and 
anarchical  laws,  which  the  Senate  defeated.  Finding 
the  Senate  was  a  barrier  to  all  then-  visionary  schemes, 
they  raised  the  cry  '  To  arms ! '  and  so  the  war  com- 
menced." 

"  Wliy  did  the  President  not  stop  hostilities  at  the 
outset  ? "  I  asked  in  amazement. 

'^  I  am  not  certain  that  he  could  have  done  so  had 
he  been  the  right  man  in  the  right  place.  I  think, 
however,  if  a  Jackson  or  a  Grant  had  been  at  the  head 
of  the  government,  he  would  have  placed  an  iron  hand 
on  the  hostiles,  and  quelled  the  movement  at  the  start. 
But  the  President  is  a  repetition  of  Mr.  Buchanan  at 
the  opening  of  the  Rebellion.  He  deplores  the  condi- 
tion of  affairs,  yet  has  not  the  nerve  to  lay  hold  of  his 
power  and  meld  it  to  pnt  an  end  to  the  strife.  He 
has  nearly  two  years  yet  to  rule,  or  not  rule,  and  liy 
that  time  the  whole  country  will  be  desolated." 

"  You  have  a  dismal  view  of  the  future,"  I  said. 

"  I  can  have  no  other.  The  forces  are  nearly  equal. 
The  radicals  would  be  at  a  disadvantage  in  military 


100  T-()()K'IX<i    WITHIN. 

leadership  l)nt  for  the  fact  that  leaders  from  the  Old 
World  have  coiue  over  to  aid  them.  They  have  ex- 
perience. Indeed,  but  for  them  I  doubt  very  much 
whether  there  would  have  been  any  fighting  at  this 
time,  if  e^-er,  in  tliis  country.  But  these  foreigners 
are  here,  and  give  glowing  accounts  of  the  wonderful 
things  which  have  been  done  in  Eui'ope,  and  urge  the 
disaffected  ones  to  tali;e  up  arms  and  maintain  theii* 
rights  and  their  cause.     So  the  war  is  upon  us." 

"  Will  it  be  bloody  f " 

"  How  can  it  be  otherwise  ?  All  ei\41  wars  are  bloody, 
and  the  most  dreadful  that  ever  cursed  mankind.  When 
brother  is  arrayed  against  brother,  and  a  '  man's  foes 
are  those  of  his  OAvn  household,'  then,  truly,  is  the  bit- 
terness of  war." 

"  Is  there  no  hope  for  peace  ? " 

"  I  see  none." 

"How  is  it  at  the  South?" 

"The  same  as  here.  There  has  been  a  complete 
revolution  there  since  yom*  day.  Immigi-ation  set  in 
that  way.  The  new  South  ontnuml)ered  the  old.  The 
negroes  have  been  pai'tially  scattered.  Tlu)se  that  re- 
main are  adjusted  to  the  new  order  of  things,  so  that 
the  old  trouble  has  nearly  disappeared,  and  things  run 
smoothly.  The  colored  people  are  divided  in  the  pres- 
ent struggle  much  as  are  the  whites.  I  think  more  of 
them  are  for  conservative  measures  than  for  radical 
action.  The  race  has  greatly  inipi'oved  in  intelligence 
and  refinement." 

"  Have  the  implements  of  war  greatly  improved  since 
my  acquaintance  with  them  f " 

"Yes;  so  much  so  tliat  1  tattles  are  simply  scenes  of 
carnage.     There  is  no  chance  for  one  general  to  take 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  lOl 

advantage  of  another  now  as  formerly,  becanse  of  the 
chariots.  Each  army  is  supplied  with  these,  and  there 
are  as  many  of  them  up  in  the  air  overlooking  the  field 
of  operations  as  are  necessary  to  observe  each  and  every 
movement.  Each  chariot  is  supplied  with  a  telephone 
connecting  with  headquarters,  and  every  maneuver  of 
the  enemy  is  promptly  reported  by  the  observer,  who 
is  a  skillful  tactician.  Hence  the  commanders  know 
all  the  time  what  is  transpiring  and  just  what  to  do. 
This  being  the  case  on  both  sides,  there  is  but  one 
recourse  left,  and  that  is  to  fight  it  out  by  hard 
blows,  man  for  man,  and  life  for  life.  It  is  frightful 
to  contemplate;  but  these  are  the  cold  and  remorse- 
less facts." 

"  I  remember  they  tried  balloons  in  the  Civil  War, 
but  they  were  found  impracticable,  if  not  dangerous. 
I  should  think  now  that  the  guns  of  the  opposing 
forces  would  be  leveled  at  the  chariots  and  destroy 
them." 

"  That  was  done  at  the  outset.  Now  the  chariots  are 
covered  with  a  coating  of  mail  so  smooth  and  hard  that 
an  ordinary  bullet  or  ball  will  glance  harmlessly  from 
the  surface.  By  an  adjusting  process  they  can  be 
moved  so  rapidly  this  way  or  that,  and  remain  such  a 
short  time  in  one  position,  that  the  heavy  guns  can- 
not be  trained  upon  them.  At  first  the  occupants  of 
chariots  on  the  opposing  sides  rushed  upon  each  other 
and  fought  duels  in  the  air.  On  one  occasion  both 
were  killed ;  on  another,  both  were  wounded ;  then 
one  would  be  killed  and  the  other  wounded.  Vivid 
and  exciting  descriptions  of  these  *  battles  in  the  air,' 
or  '  combats  in  the  clouds,'  have  been  published,  and 
eagerly  devom-ed  by  all  readers.     Now  the  chariots  are 


102  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

aniior-plated,  so  that  fatal  encounters  need  not  oecm* ; 
and  by  common  consent  these  air-fights  have  been  dis- 
continued." 

"  That  sounds  like  a  romance." 

'*  In  yom-  day  an  impossibility ;  now  a  reality  easily 
explained." 

"  80  wonders  never  cease." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

I  WAS  very  desirous  to  learn  more  about  the  chariots 
or  air-ships,  so  as  to  be  able  to  operate  thein.  Effie 
had  never  seen  one.  I  wished  to  take  an  excursion  in 
the  air  with  her  as  com/panion  du  voyage,  and  did  not 
want  to  run  any  risk  of  accident,  and  I  made  knowu  my 
desire  to  Mr.  Solon,  and  he  kindly  consented  to  become 
my  instructor.  He  had  both  chariots  and  ships,  one  of 
each  at  his  home,  of  the  latest  patterns  and  improve- 
ments. They  occupied  the  buggy-house  of  former 
years,  the  buggy  and  carriage  being  things  of  the  past. 
Mr.  Solon  said : 

"  During  the  last  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century  a 
very  important  discovery  was  made  and  published  to 
the  world  concerning  electricity.  Its  pecuhar  province 
and  work  in  the  economy  of  the  universe  were  set 
forth  and  explained.  This  gave  a  new  impetus  to  in- 
vestigation. While  the  discovery  did  not  tell  what 
electricity  is,  it  told  what  it  does,  and  something  of  the 
how  and  why.  This  enabled  investigators  to  pursue 
more  intelhgently  their  lines  of  research  into  the  pe- 
culiarities of  this  wonderful  force  of  nature,  and  better 
results  have  been  attained.  By  the  use  of  electricity 
and  magnetism  combined  in  action,  a  propelling  power 
has  been  secured  which  enables  us  to  navigate  the  air. 
This  could  not  have  been  accomphshed,  however,  if 
aluminum  or  some  similar  substance  had  not  been  dis- 
covered and  utilized  al)out  the  same  time.  Now  let  us 
examine  this  chariot,"  he  said,  leading  the  way  to  it. 

103 


lU-t  LOOKING    WITHIN. 

"  The  framework  is  all  of  aluminum.  It  is  the  light- 
est material  we  have  that  is  strong  enough  to  meet 
the  requirements.  This  is  a  battery,  very  compact, 
but  very  powerful.  Here  is  the  dynamo,  and  here  a 
magnetic  battery  of  great  strength.  These,  all  active 
and  in  harmonious  combination,  ])y  their  connecting 
parts,  which  are  easily  adjusted,  fm-nisli  the  motive 
2)ower.  They  are  under  complete  control  of  the  oper- 
ator. Here,  under  this  leaf,  which  runs  the  length  of 
the  chariot,  are  little  wings.  They  work  rapidly  and 
noiselessly,  but  with  i)erfect  efficiency.  These  ai'e  all 
necessary  to  the  successful  working  of  the  ai)paratus. 
At  first  the  vehicle  was  connected  by  wire  with  a  gen- 
erator or  dynamo  on  the  ground.  Froin  it  a  large 
number  of  chariots  could  be  sent  off  and  su})i)lied  with 
motive  power.  But  they  were  limited  in  tlieir  trips  by 
tlio  length  of  the  wire  connecting  with  the  dynamo. 
Now  we  carry  the  power  with  us,  and  there  is  no  limit 
to  its  use,  or  to  the  distance  we  may  go.  The  supi)ly 
is  inexhaustible.  This  is  an  ingenious  piece  of  mech- 
anism, something  after  the  nuxle  of  construction  in  a 
watch  or  clock.  It  is  wound  up  and  set  going,  and 
keeps  all  the  machinery  in  action  as  long  as  the  con- 
nections are  maintained.  The  whoh;  is  under  complete 
control,  and  can  be  shut  otf  and  thi-own  on  more 
readily  than  an  engineer  can  operate  his  engine.  Get 
in  now,  and  I  will  show  you  the  movements  while  we 
take  a  ride,  so  that  afterward  you  can  handle  the 
chariot  with  ease  and  perfect  safety." 

Without  illustrations  sho'vWng  the  parts  it  is  imi)os- 
sible  to  give  the  reader  a  fully  intelligent  description 
of  the  chariot  or  its  woi-king  machinery. 

We  seated  ourselves  for  a  ride,  Mr.  Solon  having 
wound  up  the  machine  and  made  everything  ready 


LOOKING   WITHIN. 


105 


under  my  eye.  We  went  some  miles  into  the  country, 
sailing  low  and  high.  At  first  Mr.  Solon  did  all  the 
engineering.  Then  he  placed  the  handle  of  the  lever 
in  my  hands,  and  assisted  me  to  learn  all  the  move- 
ments. At  the  end  of  a  couple  of  hours  I  felt  myself 
master  of  the  situation,  and  we  returned  home,  where 
I  learned  how  to  house  the  chariot  easily  and  to  stop 
its  operations. 

The  following  day  Effie  and  I  took  a  delightful  ex- 
cursion far  into  the  country.  We  enjoyed  our  aerial 
voyage  hugely.  It  was  a  new  experience,  and  its 
novelty  added  zest  to  the  pleasurable  sensations.  The 
view  from  our  highest  point  of  elevation  was  magnifi- 
cent and  indescrilmble.  The  city  was  beneath  us,  and 
every  part  as  distinctly  visible  as  could  be.  The  land- 
scape stretched  away  in  every  direction,  until  in  the 
far  distance  earth  and  sky  met  and  kissed  each  other. 
Beautiful?  Describe  it,  who  can?  Busy  life  every- 
where; herds  feeding;  spring  flowers  blooming;  the 
face  of  the  ground  putting  on  its  mantle  of  gi-een ;  the 
distant  hum  and  murmur  of  business,  of  conversation, 
of  insect  life,  came  to  the  ear  in  subdued  cadence  wit-h 
a  strange  fascination.  The  eye  and  the  ear  were  both 
greeted  by  strange  experiences,  which  contrilmted  to 
the  exhilaration  of  the  horn-.  It  was  with  reluctance 
that  we  finally  turned  our  faces  homeward,  promising 
ourselves  more  of  these  enchanting  excm^sions. 

I  did  not  feel  entirely  satisfied  with  Mr.  Solon's  ex- 
planation of  the  situation  of  public  affau-s,  and  so  on 
the  evening  of  this  day  I  remarked  to  him  : 

"Your  views  of  the  disturbed  condition  of  society 
and  the  culmination  of  differences  in  open  hostilities 
do  not  seem  to  me  adequate  to  the  occasion.  There 
must  be  some  moral  as  well  as  political  causes  at  work." 


lOG  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

"  Certainly,"  wiis  his  rej)!}'.  "  I  eoufijied  my  remarks 
before  almost  exelusively  to  the  political  questions  in- 
volved, and  their  bearings  on  business  interests.  There 
is  a  moral  side  to  the  subject,  and  it  is  really  the  vital 
point  in  the  whole  matter.  Formerly  our  people  had 
a  profound  respect  for  the  decisions  of  a  majority  in 
the  cases  of  differences  of  opinion.  That  decision  was 
accepted  and  acquiesced  in  Avithout  hesitation  or  mm*- 
murino:;  but  this  desiraljle  and  necessary  feature  of 
public  sentiment  in  a  '  government  of  the  people,  by 
the  people,  and  for  the  people,'  has  been  so  weakened 
that  it  has  lost  its  former  potency  for  good." 

''  How  could  that  happen  ? "  I  asked  in  some  sm"prise. 

"Like  most  revolutions  of  public  opinion,  by  small 
degrees.  It  is  plain  to  see  now  what  was  not  so  mani- 
fest at  the  time  of  the  incipient  stages  of  this  deplora- 
ble change.  Men  ceased  to  respect  and  obey  the  laws 
when  the  laws  did  not  please  them  or  seemed  to  conflict 
with  theu-  interests.  The  delator  class  sought  to  evade 
the  contracts  they  had  voluntarily  made,  claiming  that 
necessity  compelled  them  at  the  time  of  the  contract 
to  make  the  best  terms  with  the  capitalists  they  could, 
and  that  the  money-loauer  took  advantage  of  their  ne- 
cessitous situation  to  exact  enormous  and  unjustifiable 
interest  on  monies  loaned.  This,  no  doubt,  in  some 
instances  was  true.  Claiming  its  truth,  the  debtor  de- 
clared he  was  acting  on  the  broad  basis  of  what  was 
really  just  and  right  in  refusing  to  pay  as  he  had 
agi'ced — fii'st  the  usurious  interest,  then  all  interest, 
and  sometunes  both  interest  and  principal.  From  this 
beginning,  with  some  show  of  justice  in  it,  the  princi- 
ple of  repudiation  widened  out  and  took  in  all  matters 
in  the  dt)nunn  of  exchange.  All  piu'chases  wliei-e  the 
buyer  felt  he  had  paid  too  much  for  an  article,  whether 


LOOKING   WITHIN.  107 

he  really  had  or  not,  were  not  held  by  him  as  liinding. 
You  can  readily  see  how  this  notion  of  each  man  to 
be  judg'e  of  all  matters  where  ho  was  interested  wonld 
demoralize  business  and  destroy  confidence  between 
man  and  man. 

"  Then  there  has  been  ever  since  your  time  a  kind  of 
public  acquiescence  in  the  idea  that  it  is  not  wrong  to 
beat  a  railroad  company  or  other  corporation  out  of  its 
just  dues.  Men  sometimes  prided  themselves  on  get- 
ting- the  best  of  these  institutions.  The  public  tacitly 
sanctioned  the  fi-aud,  though  it  was  no  better  than 
theft  or  robliery.  This  weakening  of  the  moral  sense 
soon  extended  from  corporations  to  individuals.  Men 
would  exact  more  from  the  government  or  the  public 
for  the  sanie  service  or  thing  than  from  a  fellow-citizen, 
and  think  it  all  right.  It  was  hardly  considered  wrong 
to  defraud  the  government.  This  debauchery  of  morals 
also  reached  into  other  arenas. 

"  But  the  worst  feature,  probably,  was  the  disrespect 
for  and  disregard  of  law.  Every  man  felt  himself  at 
liberty  to  transgress  such  laws  as  he  did  not  like.  This 
had  a  very  small  beginning.  As  already  intimated, 
usury  laws,  as  all  acts  requiring  payment  of  interest 
came  to  be  termed,  were  finally  regarded  by  the  del)tor 
class  with  great  disfavor,  and  were  violated  without 
reluctance.  The  law  for  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath 
was  habitually  violated.  The  laws  against  gambling 
and  lotteries  were  all  set  at  naught  whereit  could  be 
done  without  detection.  The  same  could  be  said  of  a 
number  and  variety  of  statutes.  One  class  of  violators 
might  have  produced  little  general  effect ;  but  where  so 
many  enactments  were  trampled  upon,  it  could  not  do 
otherwise  than  In-eed  contempt  for  law,  and  especially 
for  all  laws  distasteful  to  any  individual  or  set  of  persons. 


108  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

"  But  the  most  disastrous  example  of  law-breakiiij^ 
was  that  set  by  men  engaged  in  tlic  traffic  of  intoxi- 
cating licjuoivs.  Not  because  each  i»articuhir  case  was 
worse  than  otliers,  but  for  tlie  reason  that  such  great 
numbers  were  engaged  in  tliis  luisiiuss.  It  did  not 
make  any  special  difference  what  the  law  was  whi(!h 
tended  to  restrict  or  control  the  traffic,  all  were  disre- 
garded much  alike.  More  ado  was  made  over  laws 
prohibiting  the  sale  of  intoxicants,  for  the  simple  rea- 
son that  this  class  of  hiAvs  was  more  difficidt  to  violate 
without  detection.  But  all  restrictive  legislation  was 
tabooed  or  only  nominally  regarded.  AMiere  license 
laws  prevailed,  whether  high  or  low,  but  more  espe- 
cially where  they  w^ere  high,  they  were  complied  with  in 
a  sense.  Men  would  secure  a  license  and  pay  the  fee. 
But  nine  tenths  of  the  saloons  were  controlled  by  the 
wholesale  licpior-dealers,  who  furnished  the  supplies 
and  owned  the  fixtures,  but  operated  in  the  name  of 
some  other  pai'ty  or  parties,  who  were  named  as  the 
saloon-keepers.  When  the  saloon  which  had  the 
li(;ense  did  not  pay  well  enough,  or  when  it  was  mm 
for  the  piu-pose  of  seeming  an  exclusi\'ely  respectable 
trade  or  patronage,  which  of  course  excluded  the  old 
topers  and  habitual  drunkards,  then  a  joint  was  jn'o- 
vided  to  catch  these  unrespcctable  drinkers.  This 
joint  was  frequently  operated  by  the  man  who  held 
the  license,  under  the  direction  of  the  wholesale  dealei-, 
in  a  side  or  back  room,  or  under  ground.  Sometimes  it 
was  separate  from  the  licensed  establishment  entirely. 
It  was  always  and  absolutely  illegal.  But  the  bosses 
of  the  trade  were  interested  in  the  sale  of  liquors  to 
all  classes,  and  so  prevented  the  prosecution  of  these 
joints  or  their  keepers.  They  did  not  seriously  inter- 
fere with  the  more  aristocratic  saloons,  as  their  cus- 


LOOIvING  WITHIN.  109 

tomers  were  not  desired  in  tliem  as  patrons  lest  they 
should  drive  off  the  respectable  drinkers,  who  would 
feel  themselves  insulted  and  outraged  by  beastly 
di'unkenness  around  them.  The  business  was  engaged 
in  solely  for  the  money  that  conld  be  made  by  it ;  and 
to  make  the  most  all  classes  of  customers  was  the  end 
and  aim.  You  can  take  in  the  sitnation  at  a  glance.  The 
licensed  saloon  was  gorgeously  decorated  and  made  as 
attractive  as  possible.  Here  the  drunkards  were  manu- 
factured. Wlien  fully  graduated  they  were  sent  down 
to  the  joint  for  final  extinction. 

''  This  wholesale  violation  of  law  was  winked  at  by 
the  politicians  for  selfish  purposes.  The  liquor-dealers 
made  more  money  and  made  it  faster  than  any  other 
class  of  men  in  business.  They  spent  it  freely  to  se- 
cure their  trade  and  traffic.  The  office-seekers  of  all 
parties  fed  the  saloon-keepers  and  courted  the  influ- 
ence of  the  liquor  barons,  who  controlled  an  army  of 
voters.  Each  and  all  parties  were  afraid  to  attack  this 
potential  influence.  In  many  places,  especially  in  the 
large  cities,  it  held  votes  enough  to  decide  an  election 
and  defeat  or  elect  the  candidates  of  either  party  wliere 
there  was  anything  like  an  equal  di\dsion  of  strength 
between  them.  They  bought  up  legislators  and  mem- 
bers of  Congress,  bribed  courts  and  juries,  procured 
perjury  by  wholesale,  and  run  things  generally  with  a 
high  hand. 

"  There  could  be  but  one  result  to  gTOW  out  of  this 
persistent  disregard  of  law,  and  that  must  be  disas- 
trous. The  anarchist  claimed,  the  same  right  to  vio- 
late the  laws  he  disliked  as  the  liquor  men,  the  gam- 
blers, or  any  other  class  of  violaters.  '  Whatsoever  a 
man  soweth  that  shaU  he  also  reap.'  Those  who  tram- 
pled upon  the  law  have  been  '  so^viug  to  the  wind,'  and 


110  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

now  they  are  'reaping  tlie  wliirlwind.'  These  great 
principles  must  remain  true  forever.  The  sowing  time 
has  been  of  long  duration ;  the  harvest  will  be  propor- 
tionately great,  but  it  promises  to  be  short  and  de- 
structive beyond  precedent. 

"  I  am  not  speaking  of  these  causes  of  the  present 
condition  of  things  as  expressions  of  my  own  opinions 
on  the  real  merits  of  the  matters  presented,  but  as  a 
statement  of  the  simple  facts  of  history  as  they  now 
stand  out  clearly  in  view.  You  can  moraHze  upon 
them  as  you  like.  I  have  only  given  you  prominent 
examples  of  the  demoralizing  forces  whose  tendencies 
during  many  years  have  culminated  in  the  present  up- 
heaval of  the  foundations  of  social  order.  It  looks, 
too,  as  if  political  institutions  would  be  subverted,  and 
lawlessness  run  riot  over  the  land. 

"  I  have  given  you  nothing  new.  All  these  elements 
of  destruction  existed  in  your  day;  they  have  only 
developed  and  grown  strong.  Now  they  seek  for  the 
mastery,  and  God  only  knows  what  the  end  will  be." 

'^  Tlie  picture  you  present  is  a  dark  one.  With  the 
moral  foundations  removed,  the  prospect  of  an  ami- 
cable adjustment  of  differences  vanishes." 

''  The  outlook  is  a  cloud  without  the  silver  lining. 
Our  city  is  probably  the  least  disturbed  of  any  in  the 
country ;  so  far,  it  has  escaped  the  turmoil  of  the  past 
and  the  tribulation  of  the  present.  The  reasons  for 
this  I  will  give  you  at  another  time." 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

The  following;  facts  in  relation  to  my  home  city,  I 
learned  from  Mr.  Solon.     He  said  : 

''  As  soon  as  I  got  fairly  on  my  feet  after  the  fire,  I 
resolved  to  turn  over  a  new  leaf  in  business.  Always 
sympathizing  with  the  laboring  classes,  I  tried  to  have 
my  workmen  feel  I  had  an  interest  in  their  welfare. 
The  strike  which  led  to  the  fire  was  unjustifiable  in 
every  sense  of  the  word ;  but  the  event  caused  me  to 
think  more  seriously  upon  the  joint  obligations  of  cap- 
ital and  labor.  I  wished  to  adjust  my  l)usiness  upon 
the  broad  principles  of  right,  and  brotherhood  between 
man  and  man.  I  read  and  thought  much.  I  was  fa- 
miliar with  all  the  trite  sayings  about  the  mutual  de- 
pendence of  capital  and  labor,  and  the  special  rights 
and  privileges  of  each.  Muscle  on  one  side,  money  on 
the  other.   Must  these  natural  friends  be  made  enemies  ? 

"  So  far  as  I  was  concerned  there  should  be  no  war- 
fare. I  had  heard  of  proprietors  of  plants  sharing 
profits  with  their  workmen.  As  far  as  I  knew,  these 
methods  prospered.  But  there  still  remained  the  sep- 
aration of  classes  and  interests.  After  mature  dehb- 
eration  my  plan  was  for  a  union  of  all  parties  and  in- 
terests. If  capital  and  labor  are  natural  friends,  why 
not  consolidate  for  mutual  welfare!  I  was  willing  to 
trust  my  workmen.  They  were  honest  men  ;  I  would 
keep  no  others.  Most  of  them  were  intelligent.  The 
organization  I  should  })ropose  would  be  a  departin-e 

1:1 


112  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

from  tliose  in  vofi^ue  in  that  it  should  he  mutitaJ  and 
not  exclusive,  enil)ra('in<;'  both  capital  and  lalior. 

"Havinji;  arraii<''ed  tlie  general  plan,  I  left  the  men  to 
fix  the  details.  When  completed  the  constitution  and 
by-hiAVs  were  a  model  of  simplicity  and  comprehen- 
siveness. The  officers  were  few  and  only  such  as  were 
necessary.  We  had  no  autocrats.  No  man,  or  commit- 
tee, was  clothed  with  supreme  power.  All  business  was 
done  by  the  body.  Committees  were  assistants  only. 
Our  society  was  for  nuitual  protection  and  benefit. 
Brotherhood  was  its  motto.  Nurses  and  other  aids 
were  provided  for  in  case  of  sickness.  A  fund  was  set 
aside  to  assist  tliose  disabled  by  illness  or  accident,  and 
a  pension  fund  for  the  aged  and  infirm.  All  these 
were  well  guarded  to  prevent  imposition. 

''The  men  named  three  years'  steady  employment 
as  the  requisite  for  membership.  Probationary  mem- 
bers were  admitted  at  the  end  of  three  months.  These 
had  no  vote  or  share  in  the  pi'ofits,  but  possessed  all 
other  lights  and  benefits  of  the  order.  The  workmen 
fixed  the  price  of  labor,  from  tlie  lowest  to  the  highest 
skill.  Inducements  were  held  out  to  every  one  to  be- 
conu'  more  skillful.  Skill  was  tlie  goal  of  every  man's 
ambition,  because  it  paid.  Without  adecpiate  incentive 
there  can  be  no  improvement.  The  men  also  named 
ten  per  cent,  per  annum  as  the  amount  of  interest  I 
was  to  receive  for  capital  invested.  As  insurance  and 
taxes  were  to  be  paid  out  of  this  it  was  not  too  much. 

"All  net  profits  were  shared  equally  by  the  mem- 
bers. The  natural  selfishness  of  nuni  was  developed  in 
this  matter.  The  skilled  workmen  thought  they  ought 
to  receive  more  of  the  profits  than  the  others.  There 
was  some  prospect  of  trouble  in  the  settlement  of  this 
question.     By  unanimous  agreement  it  was  refen-ed  to 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  113 

me  for  adjustment.  I  said  t<i  the  skilled  workmen : 
*  You  have  abeady  provided  pay  for  your  skill  in  fix- 
ing the  prices  of  wages  agreed  upon.  If  now  you  get 
pay  again  in  profits,  you  will  be  paid  twice  for  the 
same  thing.  This  you  can  see  is  not  right.'  The  point 
was  clear  and  acquiescence  readily  given. 

"A  library  was  provided,  filled  with  choice  books  on 
all  subjects,  and  arrangements  for  its  care  and  over- 
sight. A  lyceum  was  also  instituted.  As  far  as  possible 
we  provided  for  our  own  moral,  intellectual,  and  phys- 
ical needs.  No  intoxicating  drinks  were  permitted  in 
our  organization.  Total  abstinence  prevailed.  The  men 
voluntarily  renounced  the  use  of  tobacco  in  any  form. 
I  was  elected  presiding  officer  year  after  year,  until  by 
reason  of  age  I  declined  a  reelection.  Our  elections 
and  terms  of  office  were  annual. 

"  We  have  never  had  a  serious  jar  of  dissension,  and 
no  disturbance  among  us.  We  are  a  complete  society 
in  ourselves.  Our  interests  are  a  unit.  There  is  no 
conflict  between  capital  and  labor.  Like  man  and 
wife,  the  two  are  one.  I  own  the  plant.  My  owner- 
ship is  conceded  and  respected.  I  can  dispose  of  it  at 
pleasure;  but  no  sudden  change  to  damage  the  men 
is  allowable.  The  men  own  themselves  and  dispose  of 
their  labor  at  will.  No  discord,  no  expulsions  from 
the  union  except  for  cause. 

"  Our  profits  vary  from  year  to  year,  according  to 
the  demand  for  our  goods.  The  per  cent,  of  profit  is 
small.  It  is  a  cardinal  principle  of  our  order  to  be  un- 
just in  nothing,  including  prices  for  our  wares ;  they 
are  as  low  as  can  be  aff'orded.  The  highest  dividends 
yet  reached  amounted  to  one  fifth  the  wages  paid  for 
labor  during  the  year.  They  are  always  satisfactory. 
The  bookkeeper  is  mutually  agreed  upon.     He  selects 


114  LOOKING    WITHIN'. 

his  assistants.  They  audit  all  claims  and  accounts  and 
ascertain  tlie  amount  to  be  distributed  as  profits. 

"  We  have  prospered  greatly.  It  could  scarcely  be 
otherwise  when  every  man  emploj^ed  is  a  part  of  the 
concern  and  personally  interested  in  securing  the  best 
results  attainable.  I  do  not  know  whether  this  plan 
furnishes  a  solution  of  the  labor-and-capital  problem 
or  not.  I  did  not  propose  it,  nor  was  it  adopted,  with 
that  end  in  view.  It  was  simply  om-  method  of  unifi- 
cation. It  suited  us.  It  has  kept  us  harmonious.  No 
agitators,  reformers,  demagogues,  or  anarchists  are 
permitted  to  come  among  us.  No  men  leave  us,  ex- 
cept to  better  their  condition.  Some  of  our  men  have 
received  lucrative  appointments;  others  have  been 
elected,  to  office. 

"  The  great  success  of  our  enterprise  caused  others 
in  this  city  to  follow  suit  more  or  less  perfectly.  As  a 
result  we  have  no  labor  troubles.  No  enemies  have 
been  made  who  desire  revenge.  Hence  we  have  es- 
caped molestation  since  hostilities  commenced,  and  are 
likely  to  escape  until  all  the  land  is  involved." 

"  You  seem  to  have  made  Utopia  a  reality,"  I  said. 

"  By  no  means.  We  are  neither  Utopia  nor  poetical 
Arcadia,  but  simply  a  community  of  human  beings 
with  all  their  faults  and  foibles.  There  are  envies, 
rivah'ies,  and  jealousies  existing  among  us,  and  plenty 
of  selfishness.  The  grosser  elements,  which  result 
largely  from  bad  habits  and  inflamed  passions,  have 
been  largely  eliminated.  We  have  men  and  women 
with  five  talents,  two  talents,  and  one  talent.  These 
do  not  always  see,  think,  and  act  alike.  It  would  be 
an  unpromising  dead-level  if  they  did.  AMiere  there 
are  differences  there  may  be  bickerings ;  but  there  is 
always  the  promise  of  improvement  and  progress.     If 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  115 

the  man  with  one  talent  rejoices  that  there  are  other 
men  who  can  accomplish  more  and  do  better  than  he, 
when  he  has  done  his  best,  then  will  harmony  grow  out 
of  variety,  and  the  best  results  be  attained  by  diver- 
sity in  unity." 

"What  is  the  present  condition  of  the  great  cities?" 
I  asked. 

"  In  most  of  them,  deplorably  bad.  They  are  hot- 
beds of  crime.  Pauperism  prevails  to  an  alarming  ex- 
tent. Politicians  have  ruled  and  plundered  them  so 
long  and  continuously  they  are  financially  stranded. 
Virtue  and  integrity  in  official  positions  are  almost  un- 
known. The  bui'dens  of  taxation  are  nearly  unbear- 
able, yet  have  to  l)e  endured.  The  better  class  of  citi- 
zens either  have  not  the  power  or  lack  the  courage 
to  free  themselves  from  their  bondage.  Municipal  ad- 
ministrations are  theaters  of  reckless  extravagance, 
unblushing  corruption,  and  weU-nigh  open  robbery. 
Honesty  and  economy  are  things  of  the  past.  All  the 
large  cities  are  hopelessly  crushed  with  debt,  both 
bonded  and  for  current  expenses.  Payment  of  the 
principal  is  not  seriously  considered.  It  is  barely  pos- 
sible to  meet  the  interest  as  it  falls  due.  No  remedy 
is  visible." 

"You  draw  a  dark  pictm-e." 

"  The  picture  is  there ;  I  simply  unveil  it.  There  are 
tens  of  thousands  of  good  people  in  those  cities,  some 
of  them  the  excellent  of  the  earth ;  but  the  majority 
is  composed  of  the  baser  population.  Large  numbers 
of  them  are  men  who  neither  fear  God  nor  regard  man. 
Crime  runs  riot.  The  police  are  either  in  league  with 
the  criminals  or  afraid  to  suppress  them.  The  million- 
aii-e  and  the  beggar  look  each  other  in  the  face  daily. 
The  palatial  residences  of  the  rich,  and  the  garrets, 


116  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

cellars,  niul  hovels  of  the  poor  are  hut  a  stone's-throw 
apart.  The  contrast  maddens  the  vieions  who  are  des- 
titute, while  it  is  unnoticed  by  the  men  of  princely 
wealth.  Mammon  lailes  the  hour  with  the  majority  on 
one  side;  desperation  g:rows  more  reckless  and  daring 
on  the  other.  The  outcome  can  scarcely  be  otherwise 
than  direful." 

"  You  speak  desi)airing'ly." 

"I  am  usuaUy  hopeful  and  see  the  bright  side  of 
things ;  but  with  war  i-aging  in  the  land,  men's  passions 
at  fever  heat,  fraternal  blood  tlowing  like  water,  the 
hungry  and  wicked  poor  on  the  outlook  for  plunder 
and  revenge,  I  confess  the  light  on  the  dismal  scene  does 
not  appear." 

"  Let  us  labor  and  hope  for  the  best.  Good  may  yet 
come  to  om*  country." 

"  I  presume  there  is  some  compensation  for  all  the 
ills  we  are  heir  to ;  but  in  this  case  they  are  invisible 
to  human  eyes.  At  mj^  age  I  have  no  desire  to  witness 
scenes  of  carnage,  rapine,  and  devastation;  no  desu-e 
to  see  fratricidal  strife  where  brother  sheds  his  brother's 
blood.  Before  these  eyes  behold  such  acts,  such  deeds 
of  crime,  I  pray  that  I  may  be  laid  quietly  away  in  the 
silent  city  of  the  dead." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

The  latest  iutcllig-eiice  from  the  seat  of  hostilities 
was  of  the  most  exciting  nature.  After  the  first  day's 
fighting-  the  two  main  armies  had  suspended  active 
operations,  as  previously  stated.  The  fearful  fatality, 
made  certain  by  the  numl)er  buried,  seriously  impressed 
all  parties.  The  number  slain  exceeded  all  previous 
estimates. 

As  the  President  was  not  a  party  to  the  war,  and  the 
governoi's  of  the  various  States  had  either  remained 
neutral  or  taken  sides  according  to  their  personal  or 
political  predilections,  there  was  no  really  recognized 
head  of  either  side.  The  generals  in  immediate  com- 
mand were  in  actual  control — a  condition  greatly  to  be 
deplored. 

Before  the  truce  expired  a  new  aspect  was  put  upon 
matters.  Two  young  men,  former  friends,  now  rivals 
for  the  hand  of  the  same  lady,  proposed  this  unique 
method  of  settling  the  national  quarrel.  These  men 
represented  the  opposing  forces.  They  would  cham- 
pion their  respective  armies,  and  in  personal  combat 
decide  the  differences  at  issue.  Wliich  one  should 
prove  victor  in  the  duel,  his  side  should  dictate  con- 
ditions of  peace.  All  the  circumstances  combined  to 
favor  the  proposal.  It  would  save  bloodshed  and  great 
loss  of  life  and  property. 

117 


118  LOOKIXH    WITHIN'. 

The  two  men  were  of  the  same  age,  size,  weight,  and 
strength.  They  wei-e  permitted  to  iirraiige  the  time, 
phiee,  conditions,  and  weapons  of  the  eonibat.  They 
met.  Each  knew  it  was  to  be  a  fight  to  tlie  death.  The 
magnitude  and  peril  of  the  undertaking  liad  a  power- 
fid  and  subduing  intluenee  upon  them  ;  they  Avere  awed 
into  a  feeling  which  precluded  all  levity,  even  forbade 
ennuty  and  made  them  feel  as  kin.  Their  old  friend- 
ship, Avhicli  had  not  entirel}'  died  ont,  was  revived. 
Possibly  in  this  newly  awakened  sensibility  they  might 
have  receded  from  the  stand  they  had  taken,  T)nt  for 
the  fact  that  by  jeopartlizing  their  single  lives  they 
might  save  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  of  their 
fellow-soldiers  from  early  and  Ijloody  graves.  This 
thought  made  them  resolute.  In  the  most  calm  and 
deliberate  manner  they  arranged  all  the  details  of  the 
(qicountei',  as  far  as  these  could  be  anticipated  and 
pi'ovided  for. 

The  strangest  and  most  exciting  part  of  the  whole 
transaction  was  the  fact  that  they  decided  to  conduct 
the  cond)at  in  mid-air  in  chariots,  where  the  battle 
would  be  visible  to  all  who  desii'ed  to  be  spectators. 
The  chai'iots  were  to  be  exactly  alOvC  in  all  respects — 
bullet-proof,  with  a  shield  of  armor  to  protect  theu*  per- 
sons. The  contest  nuist  therefore  be  decided  by  skill 
i-ather  than  force — skill  in  handling  the  chaiiot,  or  in 
taking  advantage  of  any  mistakes  either  might  make. 

After  the  preliminaries  and  conditions  were  all  de- 
termined by  the  parties  themselves,  they  were  reduced 
to  writing  l)y  the  leaders  of  both  sides,  signed  in  tripli- 
cate, one  copy  given  to  the  general  of  each  army,  and 
the  thii'd  deposited  by  mutual  agreement  in  the  safe  of  a 
bank  for  reference  in  case  of  any  mishap  to  the  other  two. 

It  would  requii'e  at  least  ten  days  to  have  the  two 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  119 

chariots  constructed  according  to  the  phins  agreed 
upon,  and  then  two  days'  practice  for  the  men  to  be- 
come fully  masters  of  their  respective  craft. 

This  wonderful  event  was  heralded  over  the  country 
and  the  world.  The  most  intense  excitement  prevailed 
everywhere.  Hundreds,  and  even  thousands,  resolved 
to  witness  this  strange  and  weird  duel  in  the  aii",  so 
unlike  anything  in  the  liistory  of  the  w^orld. 

Ordinarily  I  have  no  taste  for  things  of  this  kind ;  I 
never  desired  to  see  a  fight  between  two  men,  or  even 
two  dogs ;  but  I  determined  to  be  one  of  the  observers 
of  this  anomalous  event.  It  even  had  a  fascination  for 
me.  I  think  it  was  the  romance  and  not  the  tragedy 
that  di'cw  me  to  the  scene.  I  asked  Effie  if  she  would 
accompany  me,  but  she  decUned.  While  she  partook 
of  the  general  excitement  which  everywhere  prevailed, 
she  did  not  wish  to  see  the  fatal  affray.  She  interposed 
no  objection  to  my  going,  but  rather  sanctioned  it. 

Of  course  I  went  by  air.  It  required  two  days  to 
mak(;  the  trip,  as  I  lay  by  over-night  and  was  in  no 
haste.     I  was  there  on  time. 

I  saw  the  two  men  as  they  met  and  shook  hands 
before  ensconcing  themselves  in  their  respective  war- 
chariots.  They  were  splendid  specimens  of  solid  phys- 
ical manhood,  handsome,  muscular,  intelligent;  noth- 
ing low  or  l)rutal  in  their  appearance.  I  could  perceive 
no  sign  of  bitterness  in  their  looks  or  acts ;  there  was 
no  bantering  or  boasting  on  either  side — no  tendency 
that  way.  As  they  parted  hands  and  tm-ned  away,  I 
saw  stamped  on  each  face  an  expression  of  ii'on  deter- 
mination which  said  more  plainly  than  words,  "  Vic- 
tory or  death."  I  knew  that  at  least  one  of  these  men 
would  never  see  the  light  of  another  day,  or,  if  he  did, 
it  would  be  with  a  mangled  body,  maimed  for  life. 


120  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

At  ten  o'clock  a.m.  the  si^ial  was  to  be  given.  Then 
the  men  were  to  commence  the  ascent.  No  act  of  hos- 
tility Avas  to  be  engaged  in,  nntil  they  were  five  hnn- 
dred  feet  in  the  aii-.  The  chiiriots  were  beautifid — 
polished  until  they  shone  like  burnished  tinsel  in  the 
bright  sunliglit.  Wlien  inclosed  within  them  the  men 
were  invisil)le  from  v\'ithout,  except  in  favorable  j)()si- 
tions.  They  had  windows  of  plated  glass  of  a  peculiar 
tenacity  and  toughness,  so  that  they  would  resist  a 
ball  fired  from  a  revolver  or  other  small-arm.  Through 
these  they  could  look  out  and  see  everj'thing  going  on 
around  them. 

There  were  more  than  two  thousand  chariots  or  ships 
present  whose  inmates  had  come  from  a  distance  to 
witness  the  great  event,  and  as  many  uu)re  from  re- 
gions nearer  by.  The  air  was  full  of  vehicles.  The 
ai-ena  allotted  for  the  combat  was  directly  over  the 
ground  l)etween  the  two  armies.  It  was  marked  off 
by  boundaries  a  thousand  feet  in  diameter,  and  no 
ship  or  chariot  was  permitted  to  pass  these  bounds; 
nor  were  the  combatants  to  go  beyond  the  lines  during 
the  contest,  but  as  high  as  tlu'y  pleased. 

I  understood  that  the  young  lady  who  had  so  inter- 
ested these  young  men  was  one  of  the  spectators,  and 
that  this  fact  was  known  to  them.  Tins  gave  addi- 
tional interest  to  the  occasion  among  the  spectators, 
and  doubtless  inspii'cd  the  principals  with  a  resolve  to 
do  or  die,  or  l)oth. 

I  took  a  position  a  little  over  five  huiulred  feet  from 
the  earth,  where  I  could  take  in  the  whole  of  the  one 
thousand  feet.  Around  me  in  eveiy  dii'eetion  were 
chariots  and  ships  stretching  away  in  the  distance.  It 
was  a  display  of  sucli  strnng<^  and  wond(^vful  import  as 
would  luider  other  and  different  circumstances  have 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  121 

engaged  my  whole  attention ;  now  the  more  striking 
event  absorbed  my  entire  being.  Eveiy  fiber  of  my 
system  was  wronght  up  to  the  liighest  tension ;  the 
intensity  of  feehng  was  painful  when  the  mind  was  not 
occupied  elsewhere. 

Tlie  antagonists  took  their  positions.  Tliere  was  no 
haste  or  trepidation  on  the  part  of  either.  A  moment- 
ary suspense.  Every  eye  was  on  the  two  chariots.  Two 
hundred  thousand  spectators  held  their  breath  and 
waited.  A  movement.  Then  the  chariots  were  maneu- 
vered rapidly  and  most  skillfully,  as  if  to  gain  some 
advantage  of  position.  No  results.  The  action  of  one 
was  so  promptly  met  and  checkmated  by  the  other  that 
nothing  was  gained  or  lost.  By  mutual  consent  they 
took  a  rest.  Two  hundred  thousand  people  breathed 
easier  for  the  time,  and  the  painful  tension  was  some- 
what relaxed. 

Then  the  chaiiots  moved  again.  A  series  of  most 
rapid  and  dextrous  evolutions  followed.  Suddenly 
there  was  a  simultaneous  flash  of  pistols  from  their 
respective  port-holes,  and  two  reports  blended  in  one. 
No  harm  was  done.  The  smoke  rose  up  and  rolled 
away.  Another  period  of  active  movement,  then  two 
more  flashes  and  reports,  with  the  same  result  as 
before. 

One  of  the  rules  adopted  was  that  no  cheering  or 
other  noise  or  sign  of  appi'oval  was  to  attend  the  com- 
bat ;  it  was  to  be  conducted  in  silence.  All  the  occu- 
pants of  air-vehicles  were  charged  to  observe  this  rule. 
All  on  terra  firma  were  held  by  the  discipline  of  armies 
to  the  utmost  quiet.  The  stillness  at  times  was  op- 
pressive ;  it  was  like  the  calm  which  precedes  the  earth- 
quake or  the  cj'clone. 

Another  rest.    Then  a  fiercer  onslaught  than  before. 


122  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

The  cliariots  were  hui'led  agaiust  each  other  with 
friyflitful  violeuee,  and  the  crash  of  the  collision  was 
heard  far  away.  Tliis  was  followed  by  another  si- 
multaneous discharge  of  revolvers.  This  time  the 
bullets  met  midway,  mingled  by  the  shock  into  one 
mass,  which  fell  sullenly  and  swiftly  to  the  ground 
beneath. 

At  this  stage  of  the  contest  the  combatants  withdrew 
from  each  other  a  short  distance,  resting  in  watcliful 
attitude,  as  if  devisuig  some  new  method  of  attack. 
Anon  a  series  of  most  skillful  maneuvers  to  gain  some 
advantage  held  the  speechless  attention  of  all  behold- 
ers. The  effort  to  secure  favorable  results  on  either 
side  failed.  This  was  succeeded  by  attempts  to  dive 
under,  or  fly,  or  leap  over  each  other  j  but  each  was 
too  wary  to  be  caught,  and  the  attempts  wei"e  aban- 
doned as  fiiiitless. 

The  skill  displayed  in  these  rapid  and  constantly 
changing  movements  was  little  shoi't  of  marvelous.  As 
the  combat  deepened  the  beUigerents  became  more 
eager  and  earnest  to  bring  it  to  a  close.  Endeavors 
to  catch  on  the  fly,  to  strike  amidships,  to  find  some 
\^ilnerable  spot,  were  made  with  a  i-apidity  and  swift- 
ness that  caused  dizziness  to  watch  the  adroit  thrust 
and  apt  pany  of  each  side.  In  spite  of  the  strictness 
of  the  rule  to  observe  sOence,  a  mui'mur  of  applause, 
like  the  hum  of  insects,  arose  above  the  silence.  It 
was  promptly  hushed. 

The  skill  of  the  two  charioteers  was  so  perfectly 
equal  that  a  drawn  battle  seemed  to  be  the  only  j3rob- 
able,  if  not  the  only  possible,  termination  of  the  contest. 
No  such  thought  as  this,  however,  found  a  i»laee  in  the 
mind  of  either  of  the  i)rinei])als,  if  judged  by  their 
acts.     It  was  willi  tlieni  a  l)attle  to  a  decisive  conclu- 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  123 

sion.    With  them  a  di'awn  battle  meant  a  double  death. 
Another  hour  passed  without  essential  change. 

"Long  time  in  even  scale  the  battle  hung." 

At  length,  after  having  failed  to  win  by  skill,  the 
duehsts  began  a  regular  assault.  The  chariots  were 
hurled  against  each  other  with  such  vehement  force 
as  to  threaten  their  utter  demolition.  As  they  came 
together  on  one  occasion,  the  larger  port-holes  were 
opened,  and  pistol-shots  fired  in  rapid  succession,  until 
the  six  chambers  of  each  revolver  were  emptied.  For 
a  moment  the  smoke  enveloped  the  scene,  the  chariots 
were  hidden,  the  residt  unseen.  Then  a  breeze  drove 
the  smoke  away,  and  no  harm  could  be  discerned. 
Each  had  failed  to  send  a  ball  through  the  port  of  the 
other  on  a  fatal  mission,  and  the  chariots  were  un- 
harmed. 

Distant  thunder  now  announced  the  coming  of  a 
storm,  in  which  heaven's  artillery  was  to  play  a  part. 
If  the  combatants  noticed  this  fact  it  was  not  percepti- 
ble to  those  who  were  spectators  of  then*  actions.  That 
the  vast  multitude  of  onlookers  were  not  indifferent  to 
this  coming  event  was  evident  from  their  manifested 
anxiety. 

Presently  the  chariots  moved  wider  apart,  as  if  to 
withdraw  from  the  further  prosecution  of  what  gave 
promise  so  far  of  a  bootless  encounter  and  a  hopeless 
attempt  to  reach  definite  results.  Not  so.  Like  two 
mighty  bii'ds  of  prey  intent  upon  the  destruction  of  a 
foe,  they  suddenly  flew  upon  each  other  with  a  fierce- 
ness hitherto  unseen,  unfelt.  The  crash  of  the  shock 
rang  out  so  loud  that  distant  ears  heard  it  clearly,  and 
a  louder  attempt  at  ai)plause  was  only  checked  by  the 
stern  orders  of  the  officers  in  command. 


124  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

How  long  could  the  chariots  resist  such  rough  usage  ? 
The  .storm  drew  near,  yet  so  excited  was  every  one 
that  its  ai)proa('li  attracted  no  attenticjn.  Twice,  thrice, 
were  the  clitu-iots  thus  hui-led  like  cannon-balls  against 
each  other,  without  visil)le  effect.  Then  they  withdi'ew 
still  farther  apart  than  before,  and  jjut  on  all  the  power 
at  command.  I  could  see  the  faint  blue  of  the  electric 
flame  as  tlie  dynamos  were  worked  to  their  fidlest 
i-apaeity. 

Just  at  this  moment  a  fleecy  cloud,  white  as  the  vapor 
of  steam,  the  advan(!e-courier  of  the  coming  storm, 
came  down  Hke  a  flying  shroud,  driven  by  a  gust  of 
wind,  and  enveloped  the  chariots.  For  a  brief  time 
nothing  could  be  seen  in  this  environment  of  cloud  but 
the  lurid  flames  of  electrieity  flashing  out  amid  the 
gloom.  E^'idently  the  occupants  were  keeping  iip  the 
power  to  the  utmost.  Tlie  scene  was  wild  and  weu-d 
beyond  the  power  of  language  to  express.  The  hush 
and  suspense  wei-e  such  as  had  never  fallen  upon  such 
a  scene.  Ah,  no  such  scene  liad  ever  before  been  wit- 
nessed by  men  !  As  suddenly  as  it  had  floated  down 
upon  the  field  of  strife,  the  cloud  was  lifted  up  on  the 
wings  of  the  wind  and  carried  away.  There  rested  the 
chariots,  i-eady  for  instant  action.  A  combat  amidst 
the  clouds ! 

I  iustinctiveh^  prepared  for  something  unusual,  deci- 
sive. A  moment  they  poised,  as  if  in  the  balances  of 
fate,  then,  like  two  engines  at  speed  of  a  hundi'ed  miles 
an  hour,  they  nished  together  with  a  clash  that  rang 
out  over  jdl  the  region  around,  loud  and  fierce.  The 
shock  was  too  gi*eat.  The  metal  yielded.  The  chariots 
were  broken  in  ])ieces,  hurled  bottimi  u])ward,  hehl  a 
moment  in  air,  then  fell  to  the  earth  with  fi-ightfid 
rapidity. 


LOOKING   WITHIN.  125 

I  had  set  my  machinery  in  readiness  for  motion  al- 
most instinctively,  and  before  the  broken  chai-iots  were 
half-way  in  their  descent  I  was  speeding  down  toward 
the  spot  where  the  shattered  vehicles  must  reach  the 
ground.  Hundreds  of  others  followed  my  example  as 
soon  as  they  could  get  ready. 

Just  as  the  two  dismantled  chariots  with  their  human 
freight  struck  the  soil,  a  piercing  scream  of  agony  rang 
out,  so  full  of  unspeakable  anguish  it  almost  chilled 
the  blood.  I  was  told  it  came  from  the  young  lady 
who,  in  a  sense,  had  been  the  cause  of  this  strange 
event.  Happily  she  fainted  away  and  became  uncon- 
scious before  her  eyes  gazed  upon  the  scene  which  was 
soon  unfolded. 

It  was  a  horrible  sight  we  looked  upon.  Both  men 
were  quite  dead.  Whether  killed  by  the  shock  in  air, 
or  by  the  fall  and  concussion,  could  not  be  told.  They 
were  badly  bruised,  and  mangled  masses  of  flesh  and 
bones,  yet  then-  faces  were  but  slightly  disfigured. 
Each  countenance  wore  the  same  stern  set  of  determi- 
nation which  I  had  observed  at  the  outset,  but  no  bitter- 
ness or  mark  of  revenge  was  visible.  It  was  a  drawn 
battle ;  and  what  a  terrible  one  ! 

All  sense  of  surrounding  things  appeared  to  be  lost 
in  the  one  tragic  event  which  absorbed  all  thought,  all 
interest,  all  sympathy.  But  the  storm,  unmoved  by 
human  woe  or  joy,  came  on  apace.  Hundreds  rushed 
to  the  spot  where  the  ruined  chariots  and  dead  men  lay, 
while  thousands  were  held  back  and  in  check  by  rigid 
discipline.  Before  an  intelligent  effort  was  made  to 
remove  the  remains  of  the  dead  heroes,  a  bolt  of  light- 
ning flashed  out  of  the  depths  of  the  cloud,  and,  as 
those  wlio  saw  it  said,  divided,  one  fork  striking  the 
flagstaff  of  one  ami}-,  the  other  the  opi)osite ;  both,  with 


126  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

their  respective  flags  shivered  into  shreds,  were  hurled 
in  torn  fragments  to  the  gi'ound. 

The  sui)erstiti()iis  regarded  tliese  two  events,  the 
fierce  and  indecisive  battle  of  the  men,  and  the  destiiic- 
tion  of  flagstafTs  and  flags  at  the  same  time,  as  an 
augnrv  or  an  omen  of  the  outcome  of  the  war  should 
it  continue,  and  as  a  warning  to  cease  hostilities  which 
should  not  be  disregarded.  These  prognostications 
were  not  without  their  effect  upon  both  sides,  and  a 
truce  of  thirty  days  was  agi'eed  upon  for  the  pm-pose 
of  coming  to  an  amicable  settlement  of  differences  if 
possible. 

The  young  men  were  buried  with  great  honors  in 
one  grave,  over  which  their  friends  erected  a  fine  and 
costly  monument. 

A  strong  and  persistent  effort  was  made  for  peace  by 
the  better  men  on  both  sides  of  the  contest.  Success 
would  have  attended  their  endeavors  but  for  the  un- 
reasonable demands  of  the  extremists,  who  insisted  upon 
unconditional  surrender.  A  settlement  on  honorable 
terms  to  all  would  finally  have  been  reached  ))ut  for  the 
element  of  irreconcilaljles,  who,  having  nothing  of  theii* 
own,  could  lose  nothing,  and  had  all  to  gain.  These 
insisted  that  the  capitalists  were  alarmed  and  woidd 
yield  to  a  full  and  complete  division  of  property  if 
firmly  held  to  it ;  but  if  they  woidd  not,  then  push  the 
war  and  compel  them  to  do  so.  Tliese  extremists,  who 
never  should  have  been  listened  to  for  a  moment,  ulti- 
mately prevailed,  and  a  peaceful  termination  of  differ- 
ences failed.  Nothing  then  remained  but  to  resume 
hostilities  and  fight  it  out  to  a  bloody  conclusion,  even 
if  the  whole  country  should  be  desolated  by  the  ravages 
of  war. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

I  RETURNED  liome  sooii  after  the  aerial  combat,  and 
awaited  the  result  of  the  negotiations  already  men- 
tioned. When  the  inevitable  became  known,  I  resolved 
as  far  as  possil)le  to  keep  aloof  from  the  straggle.  I 
had  no  reason  to  participate  on  either  side.  I  detested 
war.  I  saw  no  jnstifiable  grounds  for  this  biiital  strife 
among  brethren.  That  it  would  be  a  long,  and  san- 
gTiinary  contest  none  could  doubt.  I  dreaded  the  idea 
of  witnessing  the  scenes  of  carnage,  the  dead  and  dying, 
the  desti'uction  of  hfe  and  property,  and  general  devas- 
tation. There  surely  could  be  no  adequate  compensa- 
tion for  all  these  horrible  deeds.  No  human  foresight 
could  penetrate  the  dark  and  dismal  futm-e. 

I  detei'mined  to  turn  my  effects  into  cash  as  far  as 
possiljle,  and  be  prepared  for  any  emergency.  I  had 
mapped  out  a  plan  of  action,  which  could  not  at  pres- 
ent be  put  in  execution.  I  must  wait.  Time  was  an 
important  factor  in  this  matter. 

I  had  one  hundi-ed  thousand  dollars  in  government 
bonds.  They  were  now  out  of  date.  Would  they  be 
redeemed  at  this  late  day  ?  By  inquiry  I  learned  that 
the  bonded  debt  had  been  paid  off  long  ago ;  all  out- 
standing bonds  had  been  called  for.  I  confided  to  no 
one  that  I  possessed  these  bonds,  and  determined  to  go 
to  Washington  to  ascertain  if  I  could  realize  on  them. 
At  first  payment  was  refused.     The  bonds  were  a  curi- 

127 


128  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

osity.  None  liad  Ixioii  seen  by  any  of  the  heads  of  the 
departments.  I  pressed  my  ehdm,  \vhieh  all  coidd  see 
was  just.  Finally,  investigation  revealed  the  fact  that 
these  ideutieal  honds  had  l)een  called  for,  and  money 
appropriated  for  theii'  redemption.  A  full  cabinet,  ad- 
vised by  the  attorney-general,  approved  their  pajTnent. 
They  were  paid  in  full,  with  interest  to  maturity.  I 
retm-ned  home  much  gi-atified  over  my  success.  This 
was  the  last  of  the  national  debt  caused  by  the  Wai*  of 
the  Rebellion. 

In  the  meantime  active  hostilities  had  been  resumed 
at  the  end  of  the  last  truce ;  all  the  hoiTors  of  interne- 
cine war  were  being  enacted.  The  strife  was  extending 
on  all  sides ;  more  and  more  the  people  were  being 
di-awn  into  it.  Before  the  battle  near  Chicago  was 
fought  to  its  bloody  conclusion,  that  city  was  set  on 
fire  by  the  baser  elements  of  its  own  popidation  and 
utterly  destroyed.  So  rapid  was  the  spread  of  the 
flames  that  thousands  of  people  were  caught  in  the  con- 
flagration, and  great  numbers  perished ;  others  iiished 
into  the  waters  of  the  lake  to  escape  the  fire,  and  were 
drowned.  Pestilence  followed,  taking  off  more  than 
the  fire,  the  waters,  and  the  armies  combined.  They 
who  had  fii*ed  and  plimdered  the  city  soon  paid  for 
tlieir  wickedness  by  the  ravages  of  the  disease  to  which 
they  fell  victims.  Little  good  had  they  of  theii-  ill- 
gotten  lucre. 

New  Orleans  and  other  cities  of  the  great  Mississippi 
Basin  met  with  a  fate  similar  to  that  of  Chicago.  Then 
came  the  cry,  "  On  to  New  York !  "  This  city  was  re- 
garded as  the  head  center  of  capital  and  the  aristocracy 
of  wealth.  It  was  the  peculiar  aversion  of  the  masses 
who  espoused  the  cause  of  labor.  Wall  Street  was  the 
especial  abomination  and  object  of  hatred  of  the  lev- 


LOOKING   WITHIN.  129 

elers.  Chicago  and  licr  ganihlers  in  grain,  produce, 
and  stock  had  been  wiped  out ;  now  New  York  must 
follow,  with  a  more  terrible  punishment,  if  that  were 
possible. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  of  these  pages  to  follow  and 
record  the  events  of  the  fratricidal  war  which  desolated 
the  country  from  center  to  circumference.  So  gi-eat 
and  fierce  became  the  struggle,  some  divines  declared 
it  was  the  great  battle  of  Aj*mageddon  whieli  John 
describes  in  Revelation.  When  New  York  fell,  it  was 
pronounced  the  fall  of  Babylon.  One  minister  read  as 
his  lesson  on  Sabbath  morning  selections  from  the 
eighteenth  chapter  of  Revelation,  and  applied  the  same 
to  New  York.  Of  course  this  minister  was  on  the  side 
of  labor,  and  desired  that  what  he  read  might  aj^ply  to 
the  fated  city.  This  incident  goes  to  show  how  bitter 
was  the  feeling  existing,  and  how  little  of  the  s^nrit 
of  Christ  was  manifested  even  by  those  claiming  to  ])e 
His  messengers — teachers  sent  by  Him  to  proclaim  to 
men  the  gos2)el  of  peace  and  love,  "  good- will  to  men," 
and  forgiveness  to  enemies. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

TuRXiXG  fi'om  the  arena  of  strife,  the  more  personal 
thread  of  this  narrative  will  be  i-esumed.  While  the 
events  were  transpiring  in  the  great  national  theater 
which  made  of  om'countiy  a  vast  arena  of  tui-moil  and 
devastation,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Solon  became  more  and  more 
feeble.  Efi&e  was  made  heii'  in  her  own  right  of  all  the 
Solon  estate,  real  and  personal. 

jNIeantime,  by  consent  of  all  parties,  Eflfie  and  I  wei'e 
married  on  the  9th  day  of  Ajiril,  1928.  Tliis  hnpp}- 
event  was  like  simshine  amidst  the  surround ini>-  dark- 
ness. It  was  the  consummation  of  our  eartlily  hopes, 
the  crowning  gioiy  of  our  love. 

All  the  employees  of  the  Solon  works  united  in  a  re- 
quest to  ha^■e  the  nuptial  ceremony  pei'formed  in  tlie 
church,  that  they  might  witness  it.  Our  personal  pref- 
erence was  for  a  private  wedding  in  the  presence  of  a 
few  chosen  friends;  but  w^e  knew  this  recpiest  came 
from  the  hearts  of  the  people  who  made  it,  that  it  was 
an  expression  of  respect  and  affection  for  Mr.  Solon 
aiul  his  family,  a  compliance  with  which  Avould  greatly 
gi'atify  them.  The  request  was  granted.  The  ceremony 
was  simi)le  and  impressive.  Then  came  hearty  con- 
gi'atiilations  fi'oiu  the  army  of  workmen  and  their 
families,  which  we  knew  were  sincere.  It  was  a  happy 
hour,  and  a  precious  memory  never  to  be  forgotten. 

Two  years  later  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Solon  died,  a  few  hours 
apart,  and  were  buried  together  beneath  the  monument 

130 


LOOKING   WITHIN.  131 

already  erected  on  a  beautiful  lot  in  Sunset  Hill  Ceme- 
tery, They  had  long-  desired  to  leave  the  world  to- 
gether, and  this  wish  was  realized.  They  also  escaped 
being  witnesses  to  the  fearful  and  ghastly  ravages  of 
the  fratricidal  war  which  raged  so  fiercely  over  the  land. 
Our  city  still  escaped. 

The  remains  of  these  dear  ones  were  followed  to  their 
last  resting-place  by  every  person  connected  with  the 
establishment  Mr.  Solon  had  founded.  They  brought 
rich  floral  tributes  to  decorate  the  church,  the  caskets, 
and  the  grave.  Hundreds  of  eyes  were  wet  with  tears 
as  the  minister  spoke  of  the  good  couple  who  had  ex- 
changed mortal  for  immortal  life.  I  had  never  wit- 
nessed such  a  scene — so  many  people  mourning  as  for 
a  dear  friend.  It  was  heart-felt  gi*ief — no  hired  laments. 
It  was  a  tribute  of  love  few  kings  of  all  the  ages  have 
received.  It  was  the  spontaneous  homage  paid  to  a 
noble  man. 

After  the  solemn  rites  were  over  and  Effie  and  I  were 
seated  in  our  quiet  home,  I  said  to  her : 

"  How  is  it  that  all  these  people  are  so  attached  to 
your  father  ?  They  desired  with  one  voice  to  be  present 
at  our  wedding ;  now  they  turn  out  in  a  body  to  attend 
the  funeral.  They  weep  as  for  one  near  and  dear  to 
them."     She  answered: 

"  My  father  always  treated  his  workmen  as  his  equals. 
He  was  their  companion  and  counselor.  He  listened  to 
the  story  of  their  troubles ;  he  sympathized  with  them 
in  their  sickness,  trials,  and  bereavements ;  he  wept  with 
them  when  they  wept ;  he  shared  their  joys  and  joyed 
with  them ;  he  made  their  welfare  his  constant  concern. 
He  was  one  of  them  in  their  organization.  He  never 
held  them  off  or  nuide  them  feel  that  he  was  better  and 
more  to  be  respected  and  reverenced  than  they  were. 


132  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

He  shared  as  one  of  them  in  the  dividends  of  the  busi- 
ness, because  they  said  he  o;ave  as  much  time  and  hibor 
to  the  concern  as  any  man  connected  with  it.  He  never 
used  these  dividends  for  himself ;  they  were  all  devoted 
to  benevolences  of  some  kind.  If  the  families  of  any 
of  the  workmen  were  sick,  the  doctor's  bill  would  be 
sent  in  receipted ;  if  there  were  deaths,  the  undertaker's 
])ill  was  paid  and  the  receipt  passed  over.  Family 
supplies  would  be  furnished  in  cases  of  long  illness  or 
other  disaT)liug  misfortune.  In  special  cases  not  pro- 
vided for  by  the  general  fund,  nurses  would  l^e  hii-ed 
and  paid.  If  a  family  was  in  need,  or  if  not  in  need, 
which  has  l)een  a  rare  occurrence,  if  a  little  aid  in  a 
pinch  would  tide  over  a  difficulty,  ten,  twenty,  or  fifty 
dollars  would  find  theii'  way  into  such  a  household  and 
bring  relief.  Two  were  thus  made  happy,  the  giver  and 
the  receiver.  Father  enjoyed  aiding  those  in  need  as 
much  as  anything  else  he  did. 

"  It  was  a  long  time  before  the  recii^ients  of  these 
kindnesses  learned  who  their  benefactor  was.  Father 
followed  the  du-ection  not  to  let  one  hand  know  what 
the  other  did  in  such  matters.  He  would  have  been 
glad  if  the  secret  had  never  been  divulged  ;  but  it  was 
impossible  to  hide  the  facts  permanently.  Wlien  the 
men  and  their  families  learned  who  the  unknown  bene- 
factor and  watchful  friend  was  that  always  came  to  their 
aid  in  exactly  the  light  time,  they  liecame  more  deeply 
attached  to  him  than  ever.  I  am  fully  persuaded  they 
would  have  risked  their  own  lives  to  save  his.  They 
would  receive  favors  from  him  when  their  pride  would 
have  refused  to  accept  the  same  aid  from  others. 
Somehow  it  did  not  seem  like  charity  coming  from  him, 
but  more  like  assistance  to  a  child  from  a  loving  and 
thoughtful  parent.     They  coidd  not  refuse  a  benefit 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  133 

from  him,  because  they  felt  sure  it  would  cause  him 
regret  and  rob  him  of  a  real  source  of  happiness. 

"  These  are  some  of  the  reasons  why  these  people  are 
all  genuine  mouimers  now,  and  why  they  desired  to 
see  us  married  and  give  us  their  benediction  on  that 
event.  It  was  not  idle  ciu'iosity  but  sincere  regard 
which  prompted  them  on  that  occasion." 

"  I  see.  I  understand,  too,  why  it  has  been  suggested 
that  proper  affiliation  and  sympathy  between  employers 
and  emph)yees  would  solve  the  vexed  problem  of  labor 
and  capital.  If  every  employer  had  done  as  your  father 
did  with  employees,  this  terrible  war  would  have  been 
an  impossibility.  Talk  about  these  men  who  wept  at 
3^our  father's  grave  taking  up  arms  to  destroy  him ! 
As  well  think  of  you  and  me  going  to  wai* !  How  much 
better  every  way,  how  much  less  expensive  to  both  labor 
and  capital,  such  a  conrse,  than  this  war  and  wholesale 
destruction  of  the  accumulation  of  generations,  leaving 
out  the  frightful  slaughter  of  human  beings — of  brother 
arrayed  in  deadly  feud  with  brother.  Why  were  not 
men  wiser  ? " 

'' Yon  forget,"  said  Ef&e,  'Hhat  as  all  employers  were 
not  like  father,  so  all  workmen  were  not  like  his.  It 
rcquu'es  both  sides  to  be  composed  of  the  right  material 
for  the  outcome  to  be  as  in  this  case.  Bad  laborers  are 
as  much  in  the  way  of  beneficial  achievements  as  are 
bad  employers." 

I  saw  the  point.  Men  are  what  they  are,  what  they 
have  made  themselves.  The  war  was  on.  Passions 
were  at  white  heat.  There  was  no  prospect  of  peace 
anywhere  in  sight.  Reflections  on  what  might  have 
been  could  do  no  good.  Wliat  should  ive  do — we  two, 
who  had  no  interest  in  the  quarrel,  no  hand  in  bringing 
about  the  trouble,  no  hatred  or  revenge   to   gratify? 


134  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

Should  we  wait  until  disaster  reached  us,  or  should  we 
escape  ?  Where  could  we  flee  ?  What  avenue  of  escape 
was  open  to  us  ?  Where  could  we  find  a  peaceful  ref- 
uge ?  Europe  was  unsettled  and  bi-istling  with  arms. 
The  New  World  was  a  volcano.  The  islands  of  the 
ocean  might  be  disturlDcd  by  the  turmoil  at  any  time. 
If  we  could  ''take  the  wings  of  the  morning  and  lly  to 
the  utt(n'most  parts  of  the  earth,"  could  we  secure  rest 
and  peace  there  ?  Life  was  before  us  ;  but  what  a  life  ! 
And  we  were  strangers  to  all  that  had  wrought  this 
change  of  a  generation  ;  we  were  not  a  part  of  the  surg- 
ing tides  of  commotion  lashed  into  fury  on  all  sides. 

It  did  not  take  me  long  to  reach  a  conclusion  as  to 
what  was  best  for  us  to  do.  But  would  Effie  consent  ? 
There  was  one  place  of  refuge,  and  one  only,  so  far  as. 
human  foresight  could  peneti'ate  the  unseen  future.  As 
soon  as  time  dulled  a  little  the  edge  of  grief  over  oui* 
doul)le  loss  of  parents,  I  would  broach  the  subject  to 
Efiie.  My  plan  was  for  us  to  take  another  protracted 
Uiip,  and  wake  up  when  the  war  Avas  over. 

Not  to  i)rol()ng  the  matter  or  wt'ary  the  reader,  when 
the  time  came  I  spoke  of  the  plan  to  Eflfie.  At  first  she 
shrank  from  the  ordeal;  but  it  l)ecame  less  and  less 
repugnant  as  she  thought  upon  it.  When  I  finally  pic- 
tured the  Avave  of  desolation  coming  to  our  own  home, 
with  its  possible  fatal  results  to  one  or  both  of  us,  the 
tlioiight  of  her  seeing  me  or  of  I  seeing  her  the  victim 
of  l)rutal  and  maddened  passion  swept  away  the  last 
vestige  of  opposition  or  evrn  of  reluctance.  Anythirig 
was  Ix'ttor  than  the  awful  clianccs  of  this  ghastly  Avar. 

We  at  once  commenced  i)re])aratioiis.  The  l)usiness 
of  the  Avorks  AA'as  intrusted  to  the  foreman  and  book- 
keeper, Avith  instruetions  to  carry  out  Mv.  Solon's 
methods  to  the  letter.     How  long  we  might  be  gone 


LOOKING   WITHIN.  135 

was  uncertain ;  and  we  gave  no  hint  of  our  purpose. 
Until  our  return  aU  things  must  go  on  as  before.  In 
ease  of  death  or  removal  their  successors  must  carry 
out  the  same  instructions  and  have  everything  in  shape 
to  render  a  just  and  faithful  account  of  the  steward- 
ship. 

We  turned  as  much  property  into  cash  as  possible, 
selecting  gold  and  greenbacks  as  the  most  desb-able 
representatives  of  value.  The  funds  wei-e  safely  de- 
posited in  the  room  of  stone  in  the  liiU.  We  also  placed 
there  the  most  elegant  and  latest  improved  patterns  of 
an  air-chariot  and  au'-ship.  When  aU  the  preliminaries 
were  arranged  and  everything  was  in  readiness,  we 
paid  a  farewell  visit  to  the  grave  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Solon, 
shed  tears  of  love  and  regret  over  their  sleeping  dust, 
not  knowing  but  the  graves  of  the  dead  might  l»e  oblit- 
erated by  the  violence  of  war.  We  took  leave  of  our 
friends,  and  in  the  quiet  of  evening,  taking  care  that 
no  one  shoidd  see  us,  we  repaired  to  our  cozy  quarters 
in  the  solid  rock. 

Once  within  the  sacred  spot — sacred  to  us  because  of 
the  many  dehghtfid  hours  of  love-Ufe  we  had  enjoyed 
there — ^we  sat  down  to  consider  and  converse  for  the 
last  time  before  passing  into  a  long  forgetfulness.  The 
length  of  time  we  should  sleej)  was  discussed.  As  we 
both  had  vivid  experience  on  the  subject,  there  was 
reaUy  no  dread  or  teri'or  at  the  prospect  ]:)cfore  us.  On 
the  contrary,  as  we  contemplated  the  perils  and  repul- 
sive scenes  from  which  we  were  escaping,  there  was 
something  of  pleasure  and  gladness  in  our  ability  to  do 
so.  This  may  not  have  been  sturdy  bravery,  or  free 
from  selfishness,  but  it  was  in  its  way  gratif  jdng.  Eflfie 
suggested  ten  years  as  the  duration  of  our  sleep.  I 
favored  a  longer  time.     Ten  years  might  not  end  the 


136  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

war.  If  tlie  war  itself  should  he  ended,  the  damage 
and  waste  it  slionld  cause  could  not  he  repaired  in  twice 
ten  years.     Effie  said : 

''  Fix  the  time  to  suit  yourself,  only  do  not  let  it  be 
too  long." 

This  was  satisfactoiy  to  me.  I  had  the  duration  of 
the  period  of  repose  fixed  in  my  own  mind,  but  did  not 
wish  to  name  it  to  Effie.  She  would  regard  it  as  too 
long.  Having  much  to  say,  tlie  hours  of  converse 
reached  fai'  into  the  night  before  we  felt  like  saying 
good-night.  Purposely  I  prolonged  the  sweet  hours 
of  delight  until  I  knew  it  was  morning.  I  desii'ed 
it  to  be  morning  when  we  should  awake.  Every- 
thing being  arranged  and  placed  in  order,  I  prepared 
the  draughts,  each  taking  one,  which  we  were  to  swal- 
low sinuiltaneously.  Composing  ourselves,  the  potions 
were  taken;  then,  quietly  resting  ui^on  our  j)illows, 
with  "  Good-night,  love,"  on  the  Ups  of  each,  we  entered 
the  land  of  forgetf ulness. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

My  first  sensation  after  the  loss  of  consciousness 
was  the  same  as  in  my  pre\'ious  awakening.  This  was 
simply  a  repetition  of  my  former  experience  until  fully 
awake  and  in  possession  of  my  faculties.  The  first 
thought  was  of  EflBe.  She  had  awakened  at  the  same 
moment.  It  was  dark  within  those  solid  waUs,  hut  we 
said  in  the  darkness,  "  Good-morning,  love,"  at  the 
same  time  touching  hands,  as  though  it  had  been  the 
sleep  of  a  few  hours.  I  struck  a  match  and  lighted 
the  lamp.     Efiie's  first  remark  was : 

"  This  has  been  but  a  short  nap.  You  did  not  ad- 
minister a  very  potent  draught,  I  guess." 

''  So  I  should  believe,  but  for  my  former  experience ; 
but  if  I  made  no  mistake,  and  I  am  quite  sui-e  I  did 
not,  it  is  just  seventy  years  since  we  said  '  good-night ' 
and  went  to  sleep." 

"  Seventy  years  !  "  she  exclaimed,  almost  in  affright. 

"Yes,  seventy  years.  It  was  1930  then.  I  deter- 
mined to  wake  up  in  the  year  2000.  So  here  we  are. 
Shall  we  go  out  and  look  at  the  world  ? " 

"  Of  com-se.     What  else  can  we  do  ? " 

"  If  the  change  is  as  great  as  it  was  for  half  the  time 
in  my  former  experiment,  we  shall  recognize  veiy 
little  of  anything  we  see.  I  am  prepared  for  almost 
any  sort  of  surpi'ises." 

"  I  too.     I  hope  the  war  is  over." 
137 


138  LOOKING   WITHIN, 

"Oh,  it  must  hv,  long",  long  ago.  If  it  had  continued 
these  seventy  years  all  the  people  would  have  perished." 

We  dressed  very  deliberately  and  with  some  care, 
not  knowing  what  might  greet  us  on  entering  the  arena 
of  active  life. 

"  I  wonder  if  the  fashions  have  greatly  changed  in 
these  seventy  years.  They  must  certainly,"  remarked 
Efl&e  as  she  put  the  finishing  touches  to  her  toilet.  The 
instinctive  thought  of  di-ess  natural  to  women  came 
into  her  mind. 

"  Quite  likely,"  I  rej^lied ;  "  though  at  the  end  of 
thii'ty-five  years  gentlemen's  attire  had  not  so  mate- 
rially clianginl  as  to  draw  marked  attention  to  my  cos- 
tume." Effie  looked  so  charming  in  any  fashion  of 
di'ess  1  felt  that  every  one  who  saw  her  must  admire. 

"  I  should  prefer  not  to  appeal*  odd,"  she  said,  half 
to  herself,  half  to  me. 

When  ready  we  sallied  out  to  see  what  was  to  be 
seen.  Quiet  reigned.  There  was  little  noise  or  confu- 
sion. We  passed  on  into  the  city.  There  was  not  the 
change  I  had  exj)ected  to  witness — nothing  compara- 
ble to  the  changes  of  the  thii'ty-five  years  of  my  former 
absence.  There  was  more  sameness  in  everything. 
The  houses  were  all  much  alike ;  the  sm-roundings 
almost  fac-similes  one  of  another.  There  was  no  liiu'ry, 
no  rush  of  business,  no  bustle  of  any  description. 

"It  must  be  Sunday,"  I  said.  "It  is  enth-ely  too 
(piiet  and  still  for  every-day  life." 

Effie  made  no  reply;  she  appeared  to  be  absorbed 
in  thoughts  or  meditations  of  her  own.  I  followed  the 
direction  of  her  eye  and  saw  two  ladies  moving  along 
the  street.     After  a  moment  she  said : 

"  The  style  of  di-ess  is  different.  I  shaU  appear  anti- 
quated in  my  garb." 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  139 

I  presume  the  ladies  will  understand  Effie's  feelings 
better  than  I  did.  I  fear  my  sympathy  for  her  in  this 
trying  hour  was  not  very  deep,  perhaps  not  what  it 
ought  to  have  been. 

We  passed  on  into  the  heart  of  the  city  and  met 
more  people.  I  noticed  the  attention  of  the  ladies  was 
attracted  toward  Effie.  I  felt  it  was  her  beauty  they 
were  admiring.  She  was  handsome  as  a  peri,  and  none 
of  them  was  compai'able  to  her  in  my  estimation.  She 
understood  the  situation  better,  as  this  remark  proved. 

"  These  women  think  I  am  dressed  like  a  fright.  See 
how  they  are  all  gazing  at  my  costume." 

''It  is  your  beauty,  not  yom*  di'ess,  that  attracts 
their  notice.     I  am  proud  of  you." 

"  Oh,  fudge  !  Women  are  never  attracted  that  way 
by  the  beauty  of  other  women.  Don't  you  know  they 
always  inspect  to  criticise  each  other  ? " 

"  No.     Is  that  the  way  you  do  f " 

''Possil)ly  a  httle.  I  used  to  follow  the  custom,  but 
was  cured  of  the  practice  by  a  lecture  f  i-om  my  mother 
in  my  younger  days — at  least,  nearly  cured." 

"  I  presmne  I  shall  never  understand  your  sex," 
I  remarked  musingly.  We  moved  on.  Pres(mtly  I 
inquii*ed:  "Would  you  not  like  to  visit  the  old 
home  ? " 

"  Yes,  of  all  things  I  would,  if  it  will  appear  natural." 

"Nothing  seems  natural.  There  must  have  l)een  a 
complete  revolution  of  things  since  we  left  the  world. 
Yonder  comes  an  elderly  gentleman.  He  can  tell  us, 
perhaps." 

As  he  approached  I  asked  him : 

"Can  you  point  us  the  way  to  Mr.  Solon's  resi- 
dence ! " 

The  man  looked  confused.     The  question  was  either 


140  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

a  surprise  to  liiiii,  or  lie  was  at  a  loss  for  uii  auswer. 
After  a  little  pause,  lie  replied : 

"I  tliiuk  there  is  no  man  named  Solon  in  the  eity. 
I  have  a  faint  i-eeolleetiou  of  haviny;  heard  the  name 
when  I  was  a  small  l)oy.  There  used  to  Ijc  lar<j;e  ma- 
chine works  over  there,"  pointin.i,^  to  the  rijiht,  ''known 
then  as  the  'Solon  Machine- Works.'  I  can  just  re- 
member the  fact.  But  all  that  is  chaujj^ed  now.  The 
g-overumeiit,  you  know,  owns  ever^'thinj^",  carries  on 
all  the  l)usiness  t)f  the  country,  and  so  individuals  have 
dropped  out  of  business  existence,  and  are  no  longer 
proprietors  of  establishments." 

"  Did  I  understand  you  to  say  the  g-o\'ernment  owns 
everything  now  ? "  I  asked. 

He  looked  at  me  as  if  doul)ting  the  sincerity  of  my 
query  or  my  sanity,  but  seeing  my  evident  honesty  in 
the  premises,  lie  answered : 

"Yes,  everything.  Wliere  have  you  been  not  to 
know  this  f  I  pei'ceive  now  by  your  di-ess  you  are  not 
exactly  like  the  rest  of  us.  It  has  been  such  a  long 
time  since  the  govermuent  took  possession  of  every- 
tliing  in  the  country,  I  am  really  astonished  to  find 
any  one  ignorant  of  the  fact." 

"  Please  excuse  my  ignorance.  I  presume  the  former 
residence  of  Mr.  Solon  is  now  owned  by  the  govei'n- 
ment  and  is  not  in  private  hands." 

"Certainly.  Nothing  is  in  private  hands.  Wlien 
peace  was  declared  all  things  were  made  common  and 
passed  into  the  possession  of  the  government.  When  a 
very  small  l)oy,  I  used  to  pass  an  elegant  edifice  known 
then  as  the  residence  of  a  Mr.  Solon.  It  is  so  long  ago 
I  had  forgotten  about  it  when  you  first  mentioned  the 
matter.  It  now  comes  to  me  like  a  dream.  I  had  not 
thought  of  it  for  years.     I  think  you  wUl  iiud  the  place 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  141 

in  that  direction,"  pointing  where  I  knew  the  dwelling 
was  if  standing.  "  Bnt  you  are  too  young  to  have  ever 
seen  Mr.  Solon.  He  has  been  dead  many  years.  Let 
me  see — it  nnist  be  seventy  years  since  he  died.  I  think 
it  was  in  1980 ;  and  you  cannot  be  much  over  thu'ty 
years  of  age." 

"  Thank  you,  su-,"  I  said,  seeing  the  conversation  was 
drifting  into  a  channel  I  did  not  desu-e  to  have  it  take. 
*'We  are  greatly  obhged  for  your  kindness  and  will 
trouble  you  no  fm-ther." 

The  reader  may  be  surprised  that  I  should  ask  a 
stranger  concerning  a  place  I  was  entu'ely  famihar 
with.  My  desu'c  was  to  obtain  information  of  the  situa- 
tion of  affairs,  and  not  of  localities.  Nothing  appeared 
natural.  I  had  learned  more  than  I  expected,  and  yet 
knew  enough  only  to  ])e  bewildered.  What  business 
had  the  government  with  Effie's  home  ?  I  kept  tliink- 
ing,  but  said  little. 

We  set  out  in  the  direction  of  the  old  home.  How 
different  all  things  seemed  from  what  they  were  when 
we  left  the  city — yesterday  ?  So  it  appeared  to  us.  As 
we  looked  this  way  and  that,  saw  the  impress  of  age  and 
the  wear  of  time  upon  everything  visible,  we  coidd  well 
beheve  that  threescore  and  ten  years  had  passed  since 
our  feet  had  trod  these  streets  the  last  time.  Some  old 
landmarks  could  be  recognized,  though  changed. 

When  we  reached  the  old  home  the  landscape  was  in 
a  degi'ee  familiar ;  but  the  house  had  been  remodeled 
to  some  extent,  so  as  to  render  it  as  far  as  possible  to 
conform  to  other  residences.  Its  stately  proportions 
and  elegant  design  could  not  be  obhterated,  only 
modified.  It  was  still  the  most  elegant  and  finely 
constriicted  building  in  the  \dcinity.  The  beautiful 
surroundings,   the    trained    flowers    and    ornamental 


142  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

shrubbery  of  other  years,  were  in  a  state  of  neglect  and 
decay  sad  to  look  iipon. 

Effie  gave  a  sigli  as  the  transformed  appearance  of 
her  liome  took  from  it  all  the  attractions  which  made 
it  near  and  dear  to  her.  The  flowers  she  had  trained 
with  such  eare  were  gone.  No  trace  of  the  work  of  lier 
deft  fingers  remained.  All  the  associations  which  made 
the  place  sacred  to  her  were  missing.  Looking  on  the 
scene  was  mncli  Uke  standing  by  the  gi-ave  of  a  loved 
friend. 

"Let  us  leave  here,"  she  said.  "There  is  nothing 
left  for  me  to  love  or  cherish.  Only  if  I  could  have 
possession  again  I  would  soon  restore  it  to  the  dear  old 
home  once  more.  And  why  is  it  not  mine  f  Who  had 
the  right  to  wrest  this  jiropei'ty  from  me  ?  By  what 
authority  or  rule  of  right  could  I  be  dispossessed  of  my 
lawful  inheritance?  Wliat  has  the  world  come  to? 
Has  the  government  become  a  wholesale  robber?" 

"  I  presume  we  shall  have  to  wait  and  learn,"  I  said. 
"  It  all  seems  so  strange,  so  unnatural,  and  we  are  such 
utter  strangers  in  this  our  native  land,  it  will  require 
patience  and  self-denial,  perhaps,  to  adjust  ourselves 
to  the  new  order  of  things.  I  remember  how  I  felt 
after  my  first  adventure ;  and  the  change  now  appears 
to  be  far  more  radical  and  overwhelming.  If  all  the 
old  gentleman  says  is  true,  I  suppose  you  own  al)out 
one  hundred-millionth  part  of  your  own  property,  and 
I  the  same  of  mine.  It  is  idle  to  speculate  luitil  we 
know  more  of  the  facts.  Possibly  the  government 
owns  us  as  well  as  our  property.  We  shall  have  to 
learn  that  also." 

We  had  been  walking  away  from  the  vicinity  of  the 
place  once  called  home,  and  were  now  some  little  dis- 
tance off.     I  said : 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  143 

''  Let  US  get  something  to  eat,  and  tlien  go  l>ack  to 
our  home  in  the  rocks.  That  is  still  oui-s,  and  they 
cannot  take  it  from  us  until  they  find  it." 

"Yes,  it  is  time  we  had  something,  for  the  stomach's 
sake,  after  our  long  fast.  I  had  forgott(>n  all  ahout  that 
need,  but  since  you  mention  it  I  believe  I  do  feel  a  sense 
of  hunger.  And  I  really  long  to  get  l)ack  home  and 
find  time  to  think.  I  am  getting  lost  and  must  find 
myself." 

Our  personal  adventures  in  getting  a  meal  were  an- 
nojdng  to  us,  but  not  of  general  interest.  We  found 
that  neither  gold,  silver,  nor  gi'eenbacks  was  cuiTent 
money ;  government  scrip  was  the  only  curi-ency.  We 
had  none  of  it.  Our  money  would  not  be  taken  as  pay 
for  the  dinner  we  had  ordered  and  eaten.  We  were 
embarrassed,  confused,  and  knew  not  what  to  do.  A 
gentleman  came  to  our  relief,  and  paid  for  our  meal  in 
his  scrip,  taking  a  five-dollar  gold  piece  in  exchange — 
as  a  cm-iosity,  he  said. 

Perplexed  by  our  ignorance  of  the  existing  order  of 
things,  we  hastened  back  to  our  retreat.  Once  safely 
there,  we  sat  down  to  consider  the  situation.  Yester- 
day, as  it  were,  we  were  rich  ;  to-day  we  had  not  where- 
with to  procure  food.  Yesterday  we  had  homes ;  to- 
day were  strangers  in  our  native  land,  and  aliens  from 
our  own  homes.  We  had  been  despoiled,  robbed  of 
everything,  and  were  penniless  with  thousands  in  our 
safe.  Wliat  should  we  do  ?  What  coidd  we  do  ?  If  I 
could  only  find  employment  to  meet  our  pressing  needs  ! 
But  if  government  possessed  everjii-hing  there  was  no 
one  left  to  give  employment.  We  had  not  learned  the 
true  status  of  affairs,  that  the  government  owned  us 
as  well  as  our  property,  and  would  give  us  food,  cloth- 
ing, and  shelter  in  exchange  for  work.     We  were  too 


144  LOOKING  'V^^THIN. 

confused  to  seek  for  proi)er  iuformation  ;  possibly  too 
proud  to  expose  our  ignorance,  more  probably  too  sen- 
sitive. The  situation  was  serious.  The  longer  it  was 
contemplated  the  more  aj^parent  its  desperation  ap- 
peared. It  was  cold,  stern  reality  that  stared  us  in  the 
face — an  apparition  tliat  would  not  down.  Suddenly  a 
ray  of  light  penetrated  the  gloom,  as  I  believed,  and  I 
said  to  Effie : 

"  I  think  I  see  tlie  way  out.  I  have  a  large  amount 
of  greenbacks ;  so  have  you.  These  are  promises  of  the 
government  to  pay.  I  do  not  believe  it  will  repudiate 
its  own  obligations.  At  any  rate  I  -wtU  test  the  matter. 
I  remember  my  bonds  ^vere  taken  up  and  paid  for  when 
presented  out  of  time.     AMiy  not  the  greenbacks  ? " 

"You  may  succeed.  Better  try,  at  any  rate.  But 
everything  is  so  strange  and  so  changed,  I  have  my 
doubts.  Anj^thing  is  better  than  suspense.  One  thing, 
however,  nnist  be  provided  for :  we  must  both  live  w^hile 
you  go  to  Washington." 

"  I  can  arrange  that.  You  go  to  sleep  for  a  period 
of  five  days  ;  I  wdll  be  back  by  that  tune.  I  will  pro- 
vide for  my  own  wants." 

This  was  agi-eed  to  and  carried  out.  Wlien  I  reached 
Washington  I  scarcely  recognized  anything,  so  complete 
Avas  the  change.  The  city  was  there,  the  brick,  stone, 
and  mortar,  nnicli  as  I  had  seen  it.  But  the  machinery 
of  government  was  altogether  different.  The  red  tape 
was  about  the  same.  The  departments  bore  but  little 
resemblance  to  their  former  appearance.  The  whole 
aspect  of  things  was  changed  inside  and  outside  of  the 
government  buildings. 

I  liad  great  difficulty  in  getting  a  hearing  at  all.  At 
first  my  proposition  for  the  government  to  redeem  its 
promises  was  treated  almost  with  contempt  and  derision. 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  145 

It  was  declared  that  an  entirely  new  era  and  new  order 
of  affairs  had  been  established ;  that  all  old  obligations 
had  ceased  with  the  acceptance  by  the  people  of  the 
present  system  of  things.  I  went  to  the  President,  a 
clever  but  not  very  brilhant  man.  He  was  kind,  but 
gave  me  no  encouragement.  Finally  I  succeeded  in 
getting  the  executive  council  together — in  my  day 
termed  a  meeting  of  the  cabinet.  Here  the  whole  ques- 
tion was  discussed.  I  explained  my  situation :  how  I 
came  to  be  here  on  the  stage  of  action  so  young,  and 
yet  over  a  hundi*ed  years  old ;  how  my  property  and 
that  of  my  wife  had  been  taken  without  our  consent, 
and  without  any  consideration  or  equivalent,  leaving 
us  destitute.  Now  it  was  proposed  to  take  from  us 
all  that  remained  of  value.  I  need  not  repeat  all  that 
transpired.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  finally  it  was  con- 
cluded to  give  me  government  scrip  for  my  greenbacks, 
which  was  done  to  the  amount  of  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  with  the  understanding  that  the  scrip  was  to 
be  used  for  personal  and  family  demands,  and  not  for 
speculation.  I  was  also  requested  to  say  nothing  con- 
cerning the  transaction,  which  would  lead  to  inquh-ies 
and  put  the  administration  to  the  trouble  of  making 
explanations.  I  had  no  desii-e  to  do  this.  All  the  gov- 
ernment desired  was  to  keep  matters  free  from  embar- 
rassment or  entanglement. 

I  was  then  told  that  a  case  somewhat  similar  to  my 
own  had  just  come  to  light  in  Boston.  A  Mr.  West 
had  been  found  after  sleeping  over  a  hundred  years  un- 
der mesmeric  influence.  The  fact  had  become  a  great 
sensation.  I  was  advised  to  visit  this  centenarian,  who 
was  near  my  own  age,  and  compare  notes  with  him. 
The  interview  would  doubtless  be  of  much  interest  to 
both  of  us,  and  possibly  to  the  world  at  large. 


14G  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

This  piece  of  iuformation  was  of  deep  significance  to 
iiH',  as  it  removed  the  eoucentvation  of  attention  which 
mnst  otherwise  rest  ni)on  ns,  and  divitled  it.  1  knew  it 
wonld  be  gratifying  to  Effie  also. 

My  mission  so  snccessfnlly  accomplished,  I  retnrned 
home  withont  delay,  reaching  there  a  few  honrs  after 
Effie  had  awakened.  She  was  gi'eatly  rejoiced  at  my 
snccess.  The  sitnation  was  relieved  of  all  difficulty. 
Life  now  presented  cheerful  aspects.  I  mentioned  the 
case  of  Mr.  West,  and  Effie  agreed  with  me  that  a  tiip 
to  Boston  was  the  very  thing  to  dOc 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Having  resolved  upon  the  visit  to  Boston,  and  there 
being-  nothing-  to  detain  ns  in  onr  present  locality,  we 
at  once  commenced  preparations  for  the  journey.  We 
had  no  property  to  look  after,  no  business  interests  to 
provide  for,  no  friends  to  leave — nothing  but  a  few 
personal  matters  to  engage  our  attention.  It  required 
but  a  few  hours  to  make  ready.  But  we  resolved  be- 
fore setting  out  to  make  some  excursions  into  the  ad- 
jacent country,  and  visit  scenes  and  places  of  other 
years,  if  we  could  find  and  recognize  them.  Little,  in- 
deed, was  there  that  had  the  appearance  of  former  days. 
Change  was  written  even  on  the  face  of  the  landscape. 
There  was  small  comfort  to  be  derived  from  what  we 
saw.  No  dear  associations  remained  to  draw  parting 
regrets  from  om-  hearts. 

The  evening  before  the  day  fixed  for  setting  out  on 
the  eastern  trip  was  spent  in  quiet  conversation.  So 
full  of  excitement  and  strange  adventures  had  been  the 
few  days  since  our  awakening,  that  real  enjoyment  in 
each  other's  society  had,  in  a  measure,  been  excluded. 
We  had  scarcely  been  our  real  selves.  Now,  with  noth- 
ing to  intrude  or  disturb,  we  could  enter  into  each 
other's  feelings  in  soul  communion. 

It  proved  one  of  the  most  happy  evenings  of  our  life. 
The  rest  of  the  world  was  changed  almost  beyond  rec- 
ognition. Customs,  manners,  phases  of  life,  personal 
responsibility,  the  relative  positions  of  men  to  society 

147 


148  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

and  public  affairs,  of  women  to  domestic  economy  and 
home  associations — all  liad  undergone  a  complete  rev- 
olution ;  whether  for  weal  or  woe,  time  must  deter- 
mine. In  the  midst  of  this  sea  of  confusion  to  iis,  it 
was  a  soiu'ce  of  exc[uisite  comfort  to  find  in  ourselves 
something  stable,  unchanged,  the  same  as  when  we  knew 
the  world  before.  Out  in  the  great  world  we  were 
exiles  on  our  native  soil.  Here  we  were  at  home  and 
knew  all  that  was  about  us. 

One  who  has  never  passed  through  an  experience 
like  ours  can  form  no  just  conception  of  the  sensations 
produced,  nor  of  the  unspeakable  pleasm-e  in  finding 
one  safe  and  secui'e  anchorage  in  a  haven  of  rest  and 
peace.  The  rest  was  so  refreshing,  the  peace  was  so  f uU 
of  comfort.  That  evening  was  an  oasis  in  a  desert,  an 
era  in  our  lives. 

We  had  discussed  the  merits  of  the  air-ship  and 
chariot,  and  finally  decided  that  the  latter  woidd  be 
preferable  for  our  purpose.  Of  course  we  should  voy- 
age in  tlie  air.  Every  detail  had  been  carefully  looked 
after,  and  we  were  ready.  A  night's  refreshing  sleep, 
possibly  the  last  we  should  enjoy  for  a  season,  and  with 
the  early  morning  we  were  off. 

Without  accident  or  incident  worthy  of  note,  we 
reached  Boston.  It  was  with  some  difficulty  we  found 
a  pul)lic  house.  The  people  did  not  appear  to  be  well 
posted  in  local  matters,  or  to  take  any  interest  in  om* 
welfare.  We  finally  succeeded  in  reaching  a  hotel.  At 
least  that  is  what  it  would  have  been  called  in  our  day ; 
but  "  Government  Inn  "  was  the  name  by  which  it  was 
known.  It  was  quite  an  ancient  title  for  a  house  of 
entertainment,  but  we  were  too  anxious  to  find  a  place 
of  rest  to  moralize  on  names  or  appearances. 

There  was  no  bustle,  uo  rushiug  of  porters,  no  an- 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  149 

swering  the  calls  of  guests  as  in  our  time,  no  excite- 
ment or  tumult.  Every  tiling-  appeared  to  be  neat,  clean, 
and  in  good  order.  We  were  shown  to  our  rooms. 
There  was  nothing  attractive  about  them  ;  no  display ; 
no  evidence  of  an  effort  to  outrival  some  other  house. 
The  f urnitm'e  was  plain  and  substantial ;  good  enough 
as  far  as  it  went,  but  neither  profuse  nor  ornamental. 
It  was  quite  unlike  the  fashionable  hotels  of  a  hundred 
years  ago.  I  was  not  yet  prepared  to  pass  judgment 
on  the  change.  It  might  be  for  the  better ;  it  might 
not.  I  would  wait  and  see,  not  only  in  reference  to 
public  houses,  l)ut  with  regard  to  all  that  came  under 
my  observation.  Hasty  conclusions  were  not  always 
wise,  and  I  wished  to  be  correct  in  the  estimate  I 
formed  of  the  existing  civilization  as  compared  with 
the  old. 

As  we  were  to  become  a  part  of  the  existing  order  of 
things  if  we  lived  among  men  and  did  not  choose  to 
become  hermits,  we  nnist  familiarize  om'selves  with  the 
customs  and  usages  of  society  as  we  found  them.  We 
discussed  the  matter  and  prepared  om-selves  as  well  as 
we  knew  how  to  become  denizens  of  om*  own  country. 
What  a  thought !     Wliat  an  experience  ! 

The  table  of  the  "  Inn  "  was,  like  its  other  appoint- 
ments, weU  and  substantially  supplied,  but  lacking  in 
much  that  formerly  characterized  public  houses.  There 
was  quiet  everywhere.  This  was  most  agreeable  to  us. 
The  servants  were  attentive  but  not  obtrusive.  There 
was  no  hurry  or  commotion  ;  no  jostling  of  each  other ; 
no  rattling  or  clashing  of  dishes.  You  selected  from 
the  bill  of  fare  what  you  wished.  The  prices  were 
named  opposite  each  article.  You  knew  what  you  were 
getting  and  its  cost.     The  charges  were  very  reasonable. 

Dui'ing  the  afternoon  I  sought  an  interview  with  the 


150  LOOIONG  WITHIN. 

gentleman  I  supposed  to  be  the  proprietor.  He  told 
nie  lie  was  only  the  overseer  appointed  by  the  govern- 
ment. The  house  and  all  pei-taining-  to  it  l)elonged  to 
the  gcn-ernnient.  lie  had  no  interest  in  it.  He  was 
employed  to  e(jndiiet  it,  and  reeeived  his  salary  or 
wages,  nothing  more.  In  this  he  was  on  the  same  foot- 
ing as  every  other  citizen.  His  responsi])ility  extended 
no  further  than  to  i)revent  loss  or  damage  to  projierty 
as  far  as  in  his  power,  and  to  see  that  the  house  was 
2)roperly  kept.  It  was  neither  a  laborious  nor  a  worry- 
ing ])osition. 

"Do  you  have  iiumy  guests?"  I  inquired. 

"No,  verj^  few.  There  is  no  call  for  much  tr;i\fl. 
Every  i)erson  is  furnished  so  much  for  living  exitenses, 
Avhich  amount  is  fixed  at  such  a  sum  that  little  is  left 
for  travel  or  outside  disbm'sements.  If  any  one  travels 
nuich  his  rations  are  cut  short,  and  most  people  prefer 
plenty  to  eat  rather  than  expenditm-es  in  travel.  There 
is  no  business,  calling  people  from  home.  All  the  lousi- 
ness of  the  country  is  done  by  the  government,  and 
government  inspectors  or  agents  and  employees  in  the 
transportation  of  produce,  etc.,  are  the  only  class  of 
persons  who  have  occasion  to  pass  from  one  part  of 
the  country  to  another." 

These  particulars  were  drawn  out  by  a  request  on  my 
part  that  he  would  enter  into  details  as  if  giving  in- 
formation to  a  stranger  who  was  entirely  ignorant  of 
the  customs  and  usages  of  the  people.  I  did  know  a 
little,  but  scarcely  more  than  enough  to  confuse  my 
ideas  of  things,  and  I  desii'cd  to  learn  all  that  was  pos- 
sible without  exposing  myself. 

*'  Why  does  the  government  make  no  provision  for 
traveling  on  the  part  of  the  people  ? "  I  asked. 

"  It  cannot.     If  people  should  be  furnished  facilities 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  151 

for  transportation  at  public  expense,  the  whole  popula- 
tion would  be  on  the  go.  Business  would  be  suspended, 
and  famine  and  starvation  would  ensue.  People  would 
rather  travel  than  work,  and  if  it  cost  the  same,  or  the 
government  furnished  the  means  and  paid  the  expenses, 
no  wcn'k  would  be  done." 

"  I  see.  But  will  not  this  lack  of  intercourse  between 
the  diffei'cnt  parts  of  the  inhabitants  tend  to  alienation 
and  separation  ? " 

"  Perhaps  it  will.  It  is  not  my  business  to  look  after 
those  things,  and  I  do  not  trouble  myself  with  matters 
which  do  not  belong  to  me." 

^'  Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  refer  me  to  some  one 
who  is  well  informed  on  all  these  matters,  and  can  aid 
me  in  my  research  after  knowledge  ? " 

"■  Yes,  sir,  with  pleasure.  There  is  Dr.  Leete,  one  of 
the  best  informed  among  our  citizens,  though  he  is 
something  of  an  enthusiast.  He  can  give  you  a  large 
amount  of  desirable  information  on  general  and  special 
sul)jects.  He  has  now  under  his  care  a  young  man  who 
is  said  to  have  been  in  a  trance  or  sleep  of  some  kind 
over  a  hundred  years.  He  will  doubtless  be  glad  to 
assist  you  as  well.  But  the  man  who  is  most  thoroughly 
posted,  and  the  one  who  has  the  widest  range  of  knowl- 
edge, is  Mr.  Hume,  our  chief  of  pohce.  What  he  can- 
not tell  you  is  scarcely  worth  the  knowing,  so  far  as 
Boston  is  concerned — and  the  whole  country,  for  that 
matter." 

"  Thank  you.     How  can  I  find  these  gentlemen  ? 

"  The  doctor  at  his  home ;  Mr.  Hume  at  police  head- 
quarters." 

The  gentleman  kindly  tendered  his  services  to  give 
me  an  introduction  the  next  day. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

The  chief  of  police  proved  to  be  a  remarkable  man, 
a  little  over  fifty  years  of  age,  fiill  of  vigor,  and  look- 
ing much  younger.  He  was  genial  and  social.  Com- 
ing to  him  for  information,  he  proffered  all  the  aid  he 
could  give  me.  It  did  not  take  long  to  learn  that  he 
was  a  man  of  no  pretensions  to  superiority,  but  of  a 
wide  range  of  practical  information,  and  a  full  compre- 
hension of  the  social  and  political  affau-s  of  the  coun- 
try. He  was  unobtrusive,  modest,  almost  diffident,  but 
a  man  of  keen  insight,  close  observation,  and  untiring 
research.  I  remaiked  on  my  first  interview  that  he 
probay)ly  found  httle  time  or  opportunity  to  heed  calls 
that  distracted  his  attention  from  official  duties.  He 
replied : 

"My  official  labors  are  by  no  means  onerous.  The 
whole  plan  of  oiu-  government  is  based  on  the  suppo- 
sition that  people  who  are  properly  fed,  clothed,  and 
housed  A\dll  naturally  be  virtuous ;  that  pretty  much  aU 
the  crmies  and  evils  of  former  times  resulted  fi'om  hun- 
ger, cold,  or  privation ;  that  poverty  was  the  fruitful 
soiu-ce  of  disorder  and  lawlessness,  and  the  abohtion  of 
poverty  also  abolished  misdoing.  That  is  the  theory 
on  which  our  police  system  is  established.  Hence  I 
have  no  hea\^'  task  put  upon  me  as  its  chief  officer." 

"  Does  the  theory  hold  good  in  practice  ?  "  I  inciuired. 

"  It  does  not.  But  as  this  theory  prevails  througliout 
aU  departments  of  the  government,  high  and  low,  I  have 

152 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  153 

a  very  inadequate  force  at  my  disposal,  and  so  much 
leisure  on  my  hands.  As  you  investigate  the  facts  you 
will  learn  more  about  these  matters." 

"  Does  the  pay  cori-espond  with  the  work  performed  ? " 
I  asked. 

"  It  is  presumed  to ;  but  practice  and  theory  are  fre- 
quently at  variance.  People  under  our  system  of  gov- 
ernment are  paid  because  they  exist,  and  not  pi'imarily 
because  they  la1)or,  though  between  certain  ages  they 
are  required  to  work.  The  fundamental  basis  of  our 
economy  is  that  every  human  being  is  entitled  to  a  liv- 
ing, and  must  have  it,  whether  it  is  earned  or  not." 

''  I  remember  such  a  sentiment  existed  in  the  nine- 
teenth centmy.  It  found  expression  in  the  words, 
'  The  world  owes  me  a  living,'  which  was  often  supple- 
mented by  the  declaration,  '  and  I  am  going  to  have  it.' 
But  the  general  verdict  of  men  then  was  that  the  world 
owed  no  man  a  living  unless  he  earned  it,  if  he  was  not 
physically  or  mentally  disquahfied  to  do  so.  It  seems 
you  have  adopted  the  one  and  discarded  the  other." 

''  Not  entirely  discarded.  It  is  held  that  every  one 
should  and  must  labor.  It  is  presumed  that  the  labor 
will  compensate  for  the  living.  So  it  might,  if  all  people 
were  perfect.  As  they  are  not,  the  theoiy,  of  course, 
is  as  imperfect  as  the  people  who  are  depended  upon  to 
make  it  good." 

"  I  perceive  the  point." 

''  You  speak  of  remembering  the  condition  of  things 
in  the  nineteenth  century.  Of  course  you  mean  you 
have  read  of  that  century,  not  that  you  experienced  the 
things  you  allude  to.  You  cannot  much  exceed  thirty 
years  of  age.'' 

"I  have  unwittingly  l^etrayed  myself  prematurely. 
Perhaps  it  is  just  as  well." 


154  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

I  then  related  my  experience,  so  marvelously  strange 
to  men,  mid  now  become  so  simjjle  to  me.  Mr.  Hume 
looked  incredulous,  but  being  a  gentleman  did  not  call 
in  question  my  statement.  I  requested  him  to  test  me 
by  mentioning  any  occurrence  or  event  from  1875  to 
1892.  He  did  so.  The  result  removed  every  possible 
doubt  from  his  mind.  He  then  mentioned  the  case 
of  Mr.  West,  who  had  been  the  wonder  of  Boston  the 
past  two  months.  I  said  I  had  heard  of  him  at  Wash- 
ington, and  that  one  object  of  visiting  Boston  was  to 
see  him.  In  company  we  went  to  see  this  gentleman 
at  Dr.  Leete's,  where  we  received  a  royal  welcome. 

Mr.  West  and  I  found  so  much  in  common  to  con- 
verse about,  as  though  events  of  over  a  hundred  years 
old  were  just  transpii-ing,  that  the  others  listened  with 
silent  and  absorbed  attention.  It  was  far  more  thidU- 
ing  and  instructive  than  any  romance.  It  was  like 
holding  up  a  mirror  before  those  present  into  wliich 
they  could  look  and  behold  the  events  of  the  nineteenth 
century  passing  like  a  panorama  before  them.  We 
spoke  of  the  Italian  and  Chdian  embroglios,  and  of  the 
Bering  Sea  negotiations  with  Great  Britain,  as  events 
not  3'et  settled.  The  things  fresh  in  om*  memory  were 
unknown  or  dindy  called  to  mind  by  our  hearers,  who 
knew  of  them  only  by  tradition  or  the  history  that  im- 
perfectly recorded  them.  It  was  more  than  an  hour 
before  we  found  a  stopping-place,  and  then  our  audi- 
tors requested  us  to  continue ;  but  we  declined  on  the 
ground  that  we  should  have  other  opportunities  for  this 
recreation.  I  made  knowm  my  desire  for  information 
concerning  the  present.  Mr.  Hume  then  referred  me  to 
Dr.  Leete. 

I  found  him  enthusiastic  in  praise  of  the  existing 
order  of  affau-s.     He  confirmed  what  Mr.  Hume  had  al- 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  155 

ready  said,  that  society  and  government  were  founded 
on  the  fundamental  principle  or  idea,  that  people  were 
to  be  supported  because  tlioy  existed,  and  that  if  fur- 
nished with  the  necessaries  and  ordinary  comforts  of 
life,  they  would  be  vii'tuous  and  happy.  The  doctor's 
notion  was  centered  in  the  belief  that  the  craze  for 
wealth  in  former  times  had  led  to  the  robbery  of  the 
poorer  classes  of  their  natiu-al  rights,  and  that  hunger 
and  nakedness  and  exposure  di-ove  them  to  crime.  He 
claimed  that  most  of  the  crimes  and  misdemeanors  of 
the  nineteenth  and  previous  centuries  were  direct  results 
of  poverty,  or  necessarily  grew  out  of  the  condition  of 
things  which  made  poverty  a  fact, 

I  suggested  that  many  of  the  worst  criminals  were 
above  want  and  of  more  than  ordinary  intelligence. 
He  admitted  the  fact,  but  contended  that  these  persons 
were  either  influenced  by  their  environments  or  in  haste 
to  get  rich.  The  doctor  expatiated  for  several  hoiu-s 
on  the  theme  in  which  he  delighted.  I  was  highly 
entertained,  but  was  not  converted  to  his  views ;  I  de- 
sired to  see  and  know  more  before  reaching  settled  con- 
clusions. As  his  views  are  fully  set  forth  in  his  con- 
versations with  Mr.  West,  they  need  not  be  repeated 
here.  From  his  side  I  found  him  a  ready  and  willing 
helper  in  my  investigations  at  all  times. 

I  was  presented  to  Mrs.  and  Miss  Leete,  and  at  my 
earnest  solicitation  Mr.  West  and  Miss  Leete  accom- 
panied me  to  the  Inn  to  call  on  Effie.  This  was  the 
beginning  of  a  delightful  acquaintance  and  friendship. 
From  this  time  onward  we  were  not  entu-e  strangers  in 
the  city. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Ha"VT[NG  made  sncli  an  anspieiolis  bc^nnine:,  I  be- 
gan to  look  about  nie  seriously  for  the  best  and 
most  reliable  soui'ces  of  knowledge.  I  was  not  long 
in  seeing  that  Mr.  Hume  was  the  most  careful  and 
impartial  observer  of  customs  and  events  of  any  with 
whom  I  came  in  contact.  He  was  also  a  philosopher. 
He  could  give  reasons  for  his  opinions.  He  did  not 
deal  in  asserti<  )ns.  He  did  not  make  use  of  unsupported 
affirmations.  He  never  suffered  himself  to  be  led  to 
conclusions  by  the  su})ei'ficial  aj^iJcarance  of  things. 
He  tried  to  find  a  solid  l)asis  for  convictions  and  beUefs. 
He  was  not  enthusiastic.  In  converse  with  him  I  re- 
ferred to  Dr.  Leete's  fascination  with  the  present  order 
of  things,  national  and  social.     He  said  : 

"  The  doctor  is  perfectly  captivated  with  matters  as 
they  are.  He  really  tliinks  the  woi-ld  is  almost  a  para- 
dise. There  are  some  things  he  does  not  know,  and 
other  tilings  he  AA^ill  not  know.  In  your  day,  as  in  all 
past  ages,  there  were  optimists  and  pessimists.  The 
doctor  is  an  enthusiastic  optimist :  he  sees  only  the 
good  and  ignores  the  evil.  His  gaze  is  so  al>sorl)ed 
in  the  silver  lining  to  the  cloud  that  he  does  not  see 
the  cloud  at  all.  He  believes  everything  is  lovely  and 
pure,  partly  because  he  is  so  himself.  In  this  sense  his 
\'iews  are  creditable  to  his  heart  and  life,  if  not  to  calm 
judgment.  He  sees  only  tliat  wliicli  is  to  be  approved, 
and  all  liis  observations  arc  rose-colored.     He  tliiiiks 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  157 

we  are  practically  living  in  a  restored  Eden.  If  he  oc- 
cupied my  position  for  a  time,  he  wonld  be  compelled 
to  change  his  notions  quite  radically.  He  does  not 
believe  mankind  has  a  disposition  to  sin  outside  the 
demands  of  the  stomach  and  the  comforts  of  life.  If 
these  are  supplied,  men  and  women  wOl  be  happy  and 
contented,  is  his  theory.  He  has  always  been  favoa-ed 
in  life.  He  is  a  fine  physician,  and  gi-eatly  beloved. 
Though  past  the  age  of  service,  he  still  h;is  patients  by 
the  score,  if  not  by  hundreds.  This  very  popularity 
makes  him  enemies.  Other  doctors  are  jealous.  Men  in 
other  callings  dislike  him  because  he  is  a  general  favor- 
ite. There  is  an  undercurrent  of  feeling  bordering  on 
hatred  toward  him.  He  is  in  some  danger  of  personal 
violence.  I  have  tried  to  put  him  on  his  guard ;  but  he 
believes  nothing  of  the  iU-will  toward  him,  and  treats 
all  suggestions  of  personal  peril  with  indiiference,  if  not 
with  contempt.  Never  having  done  or  wished  harm  to 
any  one,  he  cannot  conceive  how  any  one  should  desire 
harm  to  him. 

"While  the  doctor  is  in  danger,  yet  Ins  age  is  a 
protection.  Few  persons  are  base  enough  to  lay  vio- 
lent hands  on  a  person  of  his  years.  His  daughter  is 
in  most  danger.  She  is  noble,  pure,  and  good,  and 
is  very  popular  with  the  better  class  of  people.  This 
is  especially  true  of  young  men.  This  popularity  has 
excited  the  ire  of  not  a  few  of  her  own  sex,  who  regard 
her  as  a  thorn  in  the  flesh  because  she  is  so  generally 
liked,  particularly  by  the  gentlemen.  I  have  warned 
her  father.  He  treats  the  matter  as  unworthy  of  at- 
tention. He  loves  his  daughter  intensely.  He  cannot 
think  any  one  is  so  depraved  as  to  do  harm  to  a  being 
so  innocent  and  lovely  as  Edith,  whose  whole  life  has 
been  devoted  to  nuiking  others  happy.     No  care  or  pre- 


158  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

caution  is  taken  by  the  parents  or  daughter  to  prevent 
harm.    I  am  not  a  little  anxious  concerning  the  outcome. 

"  Mr.  West  has  been  a  center  of  attraction  since  his 
advent  became  knoAVTi,  partly  because  of  the  strange 
adventure  which  brought  him  among  us.  His  evident 
partiality  for  Miss  Leete  and  the  report  that  thoy  are 
to  be  married  have  added  fuel  to  the  smoldering  fire  of 
dislike.  She  is  really  hated  by  a  number  of  young  ladies 
and  by  some  of  their  mothers  for  no  reason  except  the 
fact  that  she  is  amiable,  beloved,  and  popular.  I  shall 
not  be  siu'prised  to  hear  of  some  trick  played  upon  her, 
or  some  injury  or  violence  done  to  her." 

To  my  inquiry  if  he  could  not  prevent  such  an 
occurrence  he  replied  that  his  force  was  inadequate, 
and  if  otherwise  he  could  not  antici])ate  a  crime.  It 
must  be  perpetrated  before  it  coidd  be  punished. 

Leaving  personal  matters,  I  inquired  how  the  war 
ended.     Mr.  Hume  stated  the  facts. 

"  I  may  say  it  was  fought  out  to  exhaustion  ;  both 
sides  were  worn  out.  The  difference  between  capital 
and  labor,  rich  and  poor,  comfort  and  i)aup('i-ism,  was 
practically  wiped  away.  All  were  poor — almost  poor 
alike.  The  wealth  of  the  country  was  obliterated. 
The  cities  were  in  ruins ;  the  rural  disti'iets  were  vast 
areas  of  desolation.  What  the  war  had  not  destrt)yed 
was  used  to  obtain  provisions  and  clothing,  etc.  All 
the  gi'cat  and  minor  fortunes  had  faded  away.  These 
were  the  objects  of  the  special  vengeance  of  the  rabid 
element  in  the  ranks  of  labor.  The  tilling  of  the 
soil  was  practically  abandoned.  Pro\T[sions  became 
so  scarce  that  the  armies  could  not  obtain  adequate 
supphes.  The  troops  became  clamorous.  Mutiny  was 
threatened.  As  a  last  resort  the  labor  army  was  led  to 
attack  Washington  with  the  avowed  purpose  of  plun- 


LOOIvING  -SVITHIN.  159 

deriiig  the  treasury  and  burning  the  records.  This  the 
other  side  resolved  shonkl  not  be  done.  It  would  be  an 
irreparable  loss  to  have  the  archives  of  the  nation  tm-ned 
to  ashes  and  its  caj^ital  blotted  out.  80  at  the  seat  of 
government — though  there  was  no  government  except 
in  name — the  last  attack  was  made.  The  fighting  was 
long  and  desperate,  and  the  mortality  correspondingly 
great.  But  the  city  was  preserved.  A  truce  was  agreed 
upon  because  it  became  an  absolute  necessity.  This 
was  followed  by  the  permanent  cessation  of  hostilities. 
There  was  no  money  in  the  treasury,  and  nothing  for 
the  hungry  soldiers  to  plunder  which  could  avail  to  re- 
relieve  their  straitened  condition.  Peace  was  followed 
by  the  adoption  of  the  present  form  of  government. 
There  was  little  to  gain  or  lose  by  either  side.  An 
agreement  was  reached  after  months  of  deliberation  l^y 
mutual  concessions." 

"  Why  does  Dr.  Leete  say  the  present  order  of  things 
was  secured  without  war,  or  the  shedding  of  a  drop  of 
blood  ? " 

"  That  is  one  of  his  peculiarities.  He  follows  Pro- 
fessor Smiley,  who  has  wiitten  an  elaborate  work  on 
the  subject,  in  which  he  takes  the  position  that  the  war 
with  all  its  horrible  attendant  and  direfid  realities  was 
the  outgrowth  of  the  old  civilization — a  direct  conse- 
quence of  its  barbarous  origin  and  unnatm-al  heritage ; 
that  all  which  took  place  previous  to  peace  must  be 
charged  up- to  the  nineteenth  and  preceding  centuries. 
The  new  civilization  dates  only  back  to  the  new  era,  and 
is  responsible  for  nothing  beyond  that  epoch,  which,  he 
claims,  is  the  great  event  of  all  time." 

"  That  is  rather  strange  logic.  I  can  remember  as 
far  back  as  1875  ;  and  I  know  that  during  a  period  of 
seventeen  years  from  that  date  to  1892  there  were  a 


160  LOOKING  ^^^THIN. 

number  of  strikes  and  other  troubles  between  laborers 
and  capitalists,  wherein  blood  was  shed.  The  Hay- 
market  tragedy  in  Chicago  became  historic  in  my  time. 
It  is  therefore  clear  that  blood  was  shed  abnost  from 
the  inception  of  the  controversy  and  antagonism  be- 
tween capital  and  labor." 

"All  of  which  is  true.  Within  ninety  days  after 
your  fii-st  retirement  in  1892,  the  bloody  riots  at  Home- 
stead in  Pennsylvania,  at  the  mines  in  Idaho  and 
Tennessee,  and  the  strike  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  w^hen  many 
lives  were  sacrificed,  many  maimed,  and  large  amounts 
of  property  destroyed,  tell  the  same  crimson  story. 
Troops  had  to  be  called  out  at  all  these  jilaces  to  sup- 
press lawlessness  and  murder.  These  facts  clearly  point 
to  a  trace  of  human  blood  from  the  commencement  of 
the  strife  to  the  close  of  the  war.  Our  fathers  ought  to 
have  been  warned  in  time  of  the  impending  disaster ; 
but  they  were  not,  or  if  warned  they  heeded  not.  It 
seems  like  trifling  with  the  clearest  lessons  of  history 
to  say  that  this  astounding  revolution  was  secm-ed 
in  perfect  i)eace ;  but  we  shall  have  to  let  om*  friends 
have  their  way  and  enjoy  their  sweet  illusion.  I  guess 
it  does  no  hai-m.  The  professor  and  the  doctor  desu-e 
to  clothe  the  present  social  and  poHtical  fabric  with 
clean  and  unspotted  garments  of  angeUc  pm*ity ;  hence 
they  saddle  all  the  crimes  and  ills  of  the  race  to  what 
tiiey  are  pleased  to  term  the  dead  past.  Being  dead 
and  buried,  they  claim  it  does  it  no  harm  to  be  nuide 
responsible  for  the  mistakes  and  woes  of  mankind  in 
those  times." 

"  That  is  quite  benevolent  and  consoling  to  the  exist- 
ing order  of  things,  whether  true  or  not.  But  I  am 
seeking  knowledge.  Was  there  no  compensation  for 
the  losses  of  the  war  ? " 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  161 

"  Possibly  there  were.  Men  will  differ  in  opinion  on 
that  point.  Two  things  were  accomplished  which  ren- ' 
dered  the  present  order  of  affairs  possible:  the  very- 
poor  all  perished ;  the  rich  were  reduced  to  poverty. 
While  I  do  not  regard  the  present  form  of  government 
desirable  or  perinanent,  yet  the  leveling  process  named 
has  made  it  possible  for  a  better  government  in  the 
future.  No  estimate  of  the  cost  of  the  war  has  ever 
been  made ;  it  was  so  fearfully  destructive  of  both  life 
and  property  no  one  seems  to  have  a  desire  or  disposi- 
tion to  ascertain  the  sum  total.  Those  who  fell  in  battle 
were  but  a  small  portion  of  the  whole  number  that  died. 
Famine  and  pestilence  carried  off  their  tens  of  thou- 
sands, while  the  battle-fields  slew  their  thousands.  No 
census  was  taken  in  1930  or  1940.  The  census  of  1950 
showed  fifteen  millions  less  population  than  the  census 
of  1920.  This  indicates  a  loss  of  sixty-five  miUions  of 
people.  But  as  some  removed  to  other  lands  to  save  life 
and  property,  immigration  almost  ceased,  and  births 
were  not  nearly  so  numerous  as  in  times  of  peace  and 
quiet,  the  true  loss  of  life  would  be  less  than  these 
figures,  which  was  the  number  of  inhabitants  in  the 
nation  in  1892,  when  you  retired.  But  after  making 
all  due  allowances,  the  loss  of  life  was  away  up  in  the 
millions,  so  high  as  to  make  one  shudder  merely  to 
think  of  those  terrible  years  when  the  grim  Reaper 
gathered  his  human  harvest.  The  eontenii)lation  of 
that  crimson  chapter  of  our  history  is  so  ai)palliug, 
with  your  permission  we  will  turn  from  the  black  list 
of  death  to  something  less  repulsive." 

"  Gladly.    Is  there  much  foreign  immigration  to  tliis 
country  now  ? " 

"  Very  little.     There  is  no  demand  and  no  place  for 
foreigners." 


1G2  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

"Is  not  that  fortuuiito  for  us?" 

"  Doubtless.  It  was  larg'ely  the  foreiuu  element  that 
led  to  diseoutent  and  hostilities.  If  only  native-horu 
citizeus  had  inhabited  om-  country,  I  am  persuaded  we 
should  have  had  peace  to  the  end.  The  early  republic 
owed  much  to  foreigners  of  the  better  class ;  but  when 
the  criminal  and  i)auper  classes  came  over  in  such  vast 
numbers  the  evil  days  began." 

"  I  have  seen  the  outward  appearance  of  things ;  as 
now  existing  .they  look  attractive.  Are  there  any  hidden 
or  invisible  under-currents  not  so  pleasing?" 

''  I  am  sorr}^  to  say  that  ])eneath  this  exterior  of  love- 
liness there  is  hideous  deformity — scenes  too  dark  to 
depict.  In  your  day,  under  gilded  trappings  of  wealth 
there  were  horrible  realities  unseen  by  the  mass  of  men. 
The  same  is  true  to-day.  There  are  ten  thousand 
drunkards  in  Boston.  Distilleries  and  breweries  are 
not  permitted  to  exist  except  as  run  by  the  govern- 
ment ;  but  there  are  a  number  of  private  manufactories 
of  intoxicants  underground,  much  like  the  moonshiners 
in  your  day.  These  furnish  liquors  to  those  who  crave 
them." 

"Why  are  they  not  suppressed?" 

"  Because  nobody  is  empowered  with  authority  to  do 
so.  As  I  said,  the  theory  of  government  is  that  there 
will  be  no  crime  where  there  is  no  physi(^al  want.  As 
want  is  kept  from  all — or  supposed  to  be — l)y  the  direct 
act  of  government,  it  is  presumed  there  will  be  no  de- 
sire to  violate  the  laws,  or  to  do  any  Avrong  to  society 
or  to  ea(;li  othei*.  The  first  generation  after  the  war 
was  so  busy  repairing  the  waste  and  providing  for  the 
wants  of  all,  that  there  was  really  almost  no  need  of 
law.  The  ne(jessity  laid  upon  that  generation  kept  the 
people  so  active  they  found  little  time  to  study  or  exe- 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  163 

cute  wickedness.  They  liad  liad  so  mncli  turmoil  and 
war,  they  wanted  rest  and  peace.  It  was  not  then,  as 
now,  so  many  hours  a  day,  and  then  rest.  All  the  day 
long  was  a  scene  of  toil.  It  was  twenty  years  before 
the  existing-  system  assumed  its  present  features  and 
became  the  established  order.  This  generation  has 
much  idle  time  on  its  hands,  and  it  is  as  tnie  now  as 
when  Watts  sang  it  of  old  : 

"  '  Satan  finds  some  mischief  still 
For  idle  hands  to  do.' 

"  I  regret  to  say  that  some  of  the  men  who  drink 
take  the  portion  of  wives  aud  children,  f  m-iiished  by  the 
government  for  food  and  clothing,  and  spend  it  for  the 
coveted  beverage.  Hundreds  of  cliildren  go  hungiy 
to  bed  almost  every  night  from  this  cause.  I  have  re- 
ported the  facts  to  the  authorities  at  Washington,  but 
no  attention  seems  to  be  paid  to  the  subject." 

"  It  appears  to  me  there  must  be  a  serious  defect  in 
your  system  somewhere." 

"  True.  It  has  always  been  so  in  all  systems.  Laws 
are  made  for  the  prevention  and  punishment  of  crimes 
and  misdemeanors.  'Thou  shalt  not'  is  the  language 
of  all  law ;  but  every  age  has  witnessed  the  violation 
of  laws  by  the  vicious.  Mm-der,  theft,  robbery,  and 
other  outbreaking  or  violent  crimes  are  provided  for  in 
theory  and  in  law,  though  hardly  expected  in  fact.  But 
these  secret  sins  are  left  to  '  grow  by  what  they  feed 
upon.'  They  are  practically  unrestrained.  Gambling 
is  indulged  in.  There  are  secret  places  where  this  vice 
is  carried  on  to  any  extent  the  players  desire.  Coun- 
terfeiting is  also  one  of  the  secret  sins  of  the  city.  It  is 
easier  to  counterfeit  our  government  scrip  than  it  was 
the  greenbacks  of  yoiu"  age.     No  one  can  tell  how  much 


164  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

counterfeit  scrip  exists.  You  can  see  at  a  glance  how 
easy  it  would  be  for  a  skillful  workman  to  make  a  fac- 
simile of  a  piece  of  scrip." 

"  Does  not  the  government  keep  a  record  and  register 
all  the  scrip  it  issues  ? " 

"  Certainly ;  l)ut  what  of  that  ?  Suppose  I  have  a 
piece  of  scrip  of  a  certain  number  and  date.  Before  it 
is  all  used  up  I  make  a  counterfeit  of  the  same  date, 
number,  and  value,  and  take  it  to  some  depository  of 
supplies  where  I  have  not  been  in  the  habit  of  purchas- 
ing, or  to  a  different  department  of  the  same  depository, 
where  the  clerlvs  are  not  posted,  and  present  the  spu- 
rious scrip.  It  could  not  l)e  detected.  I  could  purchase 
what  I  desired  with  it  without  being  suspected.  My 
wife  could  use  the  genuine  at  the  same  time  until  it 
should  be  exhausted,  and  do  it  innocently.  This  is  done 
all  the  time." 

"  That  is  as  bad  as  it  was  in  my  day,  if  not  worse." 

''Why  should  it  not  l)e?  Human  nature  is  essen- 
tially the  same  in  all  ages.  Cii-cumstances  modify  the 
actions  of  men,  Ijut  do  not  make  them  other  than  men. 
This  leads  me  to  another  point.  Licentiousness  runs 
riot  in  the  secret  recesses  of  Boston.  In  your  time  some 
women  were  driven  into  lives  of  crime  and  wretched- 
ness by  want,  hunger,  cold,  lack  of  shelter.  All  good 
people  deplored  their  misfortune.  But  in  every  age 
there  have  been  the  Mrs.  Potipliars,  the  Helens,  the 
Ck'opatras,  and  the  thousands  of  others  wlio  chose  to 
do  e\dl  without  compulsion.  Tliey  exist  in  this  city 
now.  There  was  a  class  in  your  day  called  '  free  lovers.' 
That  class  of  people  is  not  dead  nor  asleep.  There  are 
several  secret  cliques  or  societies  of  them  in  Boston. 
One  of  them  is  now  in  session.  Without  the  knowl- 
edge of  these  people,  or  of  the  gamblers  and  distillers. 


LOOKING   WITHIN.  165 

I  have  secured  telephonic  communication  with  their 
various  assemblies.  If  you  will  sit  at  this  instrument 
you  can  hear  them  in  secret  discussion,  not  imparting 
but  comparing  their  peculiar  \dews." 

I  took  the  place  designated,  and  while  listening  heard 
sentiments  expressed  and  avowals  made  which  respect 
for  the  feelings  of  the  reader  forbid  to  be  repeated  here. 
Nothing  exceeding  these  utterances,  in  lack  of  virtue  or 
in  open  profession  of  free-love  principles  and  practices, 
ever  disgraced  the  nineteenth  century.  I  remarked  to 
Mr.  Hume : 

"These  people  must  belong  to  the  abandoned  classes, 
who  care  nothing  for  the  good  opinion  of  respectable 
society." 

"  On  the  contrary,"  he  said,  "  they  are  mostly  persons 
who  pass  in  the  best  circles  of  society,  and  pose  as  vir- 
tuous members  of  the  same.  They  suppose  that  they 
are  unheard  except  by  themselves,  and  so  appear  in  their 
true  character  in  these  secret  meetings.  It  is  the  natural 
outgrowth  of  passion  on  the  part  of  men  and  women 
who  have  plenty  of  idle  time  on  their  hands  and  are  not 
disposed  to  use  it  for  purposes  of  self -improvement." 

"  I  confess  this  is  a  startling  revelation  to  me.  It  is 
surprising,  shocking,  basely  infamous  !  " 

"  There  is  no  possible  excuse  for  such  lapses  from 
virtue ;  and  I  am  not  surprised  that  you  are  astonished 
by  this  revelation." 

After  some  fiu-ther  conversation,  Mr.  Hume  proposed 
to  introduce  me  to  a  friend  of  his,  a  farmer  of  rare  in- 
telligence, who,  he  assured  me,  would  be  glad  to  en- 
lighten me  on  some  phases  of  our  ci\Tlization  and  pol- 
ity as  these  affect  agricultm'e.  I  was  delighted  at  the 
prospect  of  this  new  opening  of  a  channel  of  informa- 
tion on  so  important  a  topic. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

On  the  day  agi'eed  upon,  I  took  Mr.  Hume  in  my 
chariot  for  the  proposed  visit  iu  the  country.  His 
attention  was  particularly  attracted  to  the  chariot. 
He  remarked  that  he  had  never  seen  one  so  complete 
and  perfect.  I  replied  that  under  governmental  super- 
vision great  improvements  ought  to  have  been  made. 

"  There  is  where  you  are  in  en-or,"  he  said.  "  Under 
our  system  of  operations  there  is  no  adequate  induce- 
ment for  persons  to  improve  or  invent  machinery. 
The  in\'entor  has  no  personal  interest  or  right  in  the 
product  of  his  inventive  skill  more  tlian  his  neighbor. 
All  he  gets  is  a  diploma  or  medal,  and  these  are  empty 
considerations.  Government  owns  everything,  includ- 
ing products  of  the  mental  and  physical  powers  of  her 
citizens — in  fact,  owns  the  man  himself.  He  is  a  mere 
machine,  or  a  part  of  it ;  the  crank  or  Ix'lt  which  run 
the  whole  affair  is  the  government.  Individual  free- 
dom, in  the  broad  sense,  that  a  man  is  master  of  him- 
self, his  time,  talents,  and  lal)or,  is  not  known.  If  it 
ever  existed,  it  is  a  thing  of  the  past ;  it  died  with  the 
siuTcnder  of  the  num  to  the  government.  Hence  there 
is  almost  no  improvement  in  any  direction.  The  tele- 
graph, the  tel('i»hone,  aerial  navigation,  electrical  ma- 
chinery, and  all  else,  remain  practically  as  they  were 
when  the  governnieut  swallowed  everything.  Rail- 
roads   have    deteriorated.     There    being    no    general 

166 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  167 

travel,  and  no  call  for  it,  the  roads  are  used  almost 
exclusively  for  freights.  Until  children  and  youth  are 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  they  are  requu*ed  to  go  to 
school.  From  twenty-one  to  forty-five  the  people  be- 
long to  the  government  for  work,  and  are  required  to 
put  in  eight  hoiu's  of  labor  each  day.  They  have  no 
choice  but  to  give  these  eight  hom-s  of  time  to  the 
pubUc  in  labor  during  each  twenty-four  hours.  They 
cannot  work  and  travel  at  the  same  time. 

''  They  own  nothing  at  the  end  of  forty-five  years. 
Government  owns  the  houses  they  live  in,  all  the 
fm-niture  and  appurtenances  thereto  belonging,  except 
a  few  decorations  and  a  few  books,  when  residents 
choose  to  furnish  these  at  their  o\^^l  expense.  PubUc 
hbraries  are  accessible  to  all  the  people,  and  so  books 
in  private  libraries  are  few.  The  people  liave  no  ex- 
cess of  funds  with  which  to  pm'chase  anything.  A 
Bible  and  a  few  standard  books  are  provided  for  each 
house,  and  remain  in  it.  After  the  age  of  forty-five 
the  people  are  simply  pensioners  on  the  government. 
As  a  matter  of  equity  and  right,  the  pension  is  fixed 
at  such  an  amount  as  will  only  properly  keej)  the  per- 
son comfortable — no  overplus  to  expend  in  travel  or 
gratification.  To  overstep  this  rigid  rule  would  be 
to  break  down  the  whole  structure  of  governmental 
rule.  Even  if  a  bounty  was  offered  for  extra  ser\nce,  it 
would  lead  to  endless  strife  and  jealousy,  and  ultimate 
revolution.  One  ii'on  rule  must  be  observed  impar- 
tially :  all  must  he  treated  alike — the  same  requirement 
of  time  and  service,  the  same  pay  for  these.  These 
must  be  gauged  to  a  fixed  standard  of  economy,  not  of 
extravagance  or  waste ;  to  pro\ade  f(jr  the  needs  and 
not  the  pleasures  of  life.  This  is  the  reason  there  is 
so  little  communication  between  the  remote  parts  of 


1G8  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

the  country.  We  are  becoming  estranged  from  each 
other.  The  people  of  Boston  know  as  little  from  per- 
sonal intercourse  about  the  people  of  the  great  central 
area  of  the  continent  as  they  do  of  the  inhabitants 
of  South  America  or  Afi'ica.  Om-  citizens  scarcely  ever 
see  a  stranger  or  a  citizen  of  any  otlier  State,  except  he 
be  a  government  employe.  "VVHiat  the  outcome  will  be 
no  one  can  foresee.  There  still  remains  the  telegraph, 
which  gives  ns  the  general  news  all  ovei-  the  country ; 
but  it  is  getting  to  be  much  Like  intelligence  from  a 
far-away  and  alien  land,  "^^liat  common  interests 
have  our  people  here  with  those  of  Texas,  Kansas,  or 
California?  None  whatever,  except  that  wliich  comes 
through  the  government  exchange.  We  have  no  busi- 
ness connections  with  those  distant  people,  and,  in  point 
of  fact,  none  with  our  next-door  neighbors.  New  York 
and  Pennsylvania  have  no  interest  in  common  with  us. 
There  are  no  intermarriages,  no  social  communications, 
no  ties  of  any  sort  to  bind  us  together  as  one  homoge- 
neous brotherhood. 

"  There  is  no  hurry  anywhere.  A  man  gets  the  same 
pay  for  his  work  if  he  is  deliberate  as  if  he  is  in  haste. 
Our  railroad  passenger  trains,  when  they  i-uii  at  all, 
never  exceed  twenty-five  miles  an  hour ;  freights  are 
lazily  carried  along  at  ten  to  fifteen  miles  per  hour. 
Railroad  men,  like  others,  put  in  eight  hours  a  day ; 
at  the  end  of  each  eight  hours'  journey  there  is  a 
station  and  a  relay  of  hands.  No  speed  is  necessary. 
It  requii'cs  a  large  number  of  hands  to  keep  the  rail- 
roads and  the  service  of  trains  properly  in  order. 
Everything  works  by  rule,  but  it  is  the  iron  rule  of 
the  machine,  which  excludes  all  freedom,  enterprise, 
or  aspiration.  Everything  is  a  dead-level,  so  to  speak 
— so  much  work  for  a  living,  which  is  given  in  exact 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  169 

measure  to  each  one.  Such  a  system  exchides  emula- 
tion, shuts  out  ambition,  and  abolishes  hope  of  prefer- 
ment or  distinction." 

"  Dr.  Leete  does  not  look  at  the  condition  of  things 
in  that  light.  He  claims  the  incentives  to  ambition 
and  excellence  are  as  great  now  as  formerly." 

"I  know  he  does.  But  the  facts  are  against  his 
fancy-colored  theory,  which  is  the  outgrowth  of  his 
own  happy  and  exceptional  experience.  He  does  get 
some  private  perquisites  for  his  professional  services ; 
but  even  in  his  case  there  is  nothing  left  for  him  to 
expend  in  extensive  travel  or  other  costly  luxuries. 
What  people  spend  for  extras  is  taken  from  wages  or 
pensions,  and  cuts  off  that  much  of  theu*  only  revenue, 
regarded  at  best  as  only  fairly  sufficient  for  the  nec- 
essaries of  comfortable  living.  You  can  readily  see 
where  the  clear-cut  facts  point.  It  is  just  as  impossi- 
ble for  one  person  to  travel  much,  or  exj^end  much  in 
any  direction,  as  it  is  for  one  to  be  rich  and  another 
poor.  Equahty  is  the  one  idea  upon  which  the  en- 
tire fabric  of  government  and  society  is  constructed. 
'Liberty,  equality,  fraternity'  is  the  motto,  and  the 
effort  is  to  make  it  a  reality.  That  it  fails  in  eveiy 
way  and  at  every  point,  except  where  the  government 
dispenses  to  the  people,  is  evident.  But  most  persons 
do  not  look  beneath  the  sui'face  to  see  what  the  real 
facts  are.  They  feel  that  something  is  wrong,  yet  do 
not  perceive  the  source  of  the  \VTong.  Some  hold  theii* 
peace  for  policy's  sake. 

"  In  youi"  day  visitors  went  at  such  hours  as  pleased 
the  parties  themselves.  It  is  not  so  now.  The  eight 
hours  belong  to  the  government ;  in  them  no  visiting 
is  permitted.  AU  social  intercourse  must  be  had  dur- 
ing the  hoiu's  devoted  to  recreation  and  sleep.     If  we 


170  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

should  reach  tlic  home  of  my  friend  before  five  o'clock, 
he  woidd  not  dare  to  stop  work  and  receive  us  untd 
that  liour  which  rek'ases  him  from  obligation  for  the 
day.  This  clock-work  reaches  to  all  departments  of 
human  life  and  action.  Honest  men  are  faithful ;  dis- 
honest ones  are  not.  The  treadmill  drudgeiy  of  the 
eight  hours'  compulsory  labor  whets  the  appetite  of 
the  e\al-disposed  to  run  into  excesses  when  released 
from  the  grasp  of  the  cast-iron  rule." 

We  had  now  reached  our  destination,  and  received 
a  heai'ty  welcome  at  the  farmer's  home.  The  family 
consisted  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Acre,  and  their  son  and 
daughter.     Wlien  Mr.  Acre  saw  my  chariot  he  said : 

''  That  is  a  fine  rig.  The  government  turns  out  no 
such  work  as  that.  I  have  seen  nothing  so  complete, 
costly,  and  elegant.  How  came  you  to  possess  such  a 
rare  gem  of  beauty  and  convenience  ? " 

''  There  is  a  long  story  connected  with  it,  which  I 
beg  to  delay  repeating  until  a  futm-e  time,"  I  said. 

Mr.  Hume  then  stated  the  pui'pose  of  our  visit,  and 
om*  host  replied  that  he  would  gladly  render  me  any 
assistance  in  his  power,  which  would  be  small  com- 
pared with  what  Dr.  Leete  and  ,Mr.  Himie  could 
fm-nish. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

Me.  Acre  continued  the  interview. 

''  Dr.  Leete  and  Mr.  Hume  have  enlightened  you  on 
the  fundamentals  of  our  system,  and  I  need  not  repeat. 
The  system  is  one  of  ownership  and  servitude.  No  man 
can  dispose  of  himself  as  he  would ;  he  simply  obeys 
orders.  It  is  called  a  paternal  government,  but  the 
name  does  not  mitigate  its  rigor.  It  has  some  advan- 
tages. No  one  is  to  be  in  want.  That  many  are  in  want 
is  not  the  fault  of  the  government,  but  of  individuals. 
Employment  and  pay  are  both  sure.  No  actual  want 
except  as  the  result  of  criminal  conduct;  no  tramps 
nor  beggars;  no  paupers  of  the  old  style;  houses  for 
aU,  comfortable  living  for  aU  provided — these  are 
blessings  which  arrest  the  attention  at  once.  They 
are  attractive.  They  give  our  civilization  an  exterior 
polish  that  is  pleasing  to  behold.  Alas  that  this 
beauty  is  only  skin-deep !  If  only  aU  people  were 
good  and  honest,  true  and  virtuous,  the  evils  of  the 
system  might  not  appear." 

"  If  I  understand  your  polity,  it  aims  to  deal  with 
all  persons  exactly  alike.  How  can  that  be  unjust 
which  is  equal  ? " 

"  It  is  only  equal  in  name,  not  in  fact.  There  are 
multiplied  methods  by  which  men  evade  the  just  re- 
quirements of  the  government,  and  defraud  it  and  the 
honest  portion  of  the  community  as  completely  as  if 
they  stole  from  or  robbed  them.     The  worst  feature  of 

171 


172  LOOIONG   WITHIN. 

our  system  is  that  it  puts  a  liardship  upon  its  only 
true  supporters,  wliile  it  permits  the  treacherous  and 
tricky  to  defraud  ahuost  at  pleasure." 

"  I  do  not  see  how  that  can  be." 

"I  presume  not.  Even  close  observers  like  Mr. 
Hume  would  hardly  discover  this  defect  in  his  calling. 
Dr.  Leete  would  never  see  it,  and  would  not  beUeve  it 
if  told  him.  He  is  infatuated  with  the  exterior,  and 
never  delves  beneath  the  surface.  The  intent  is  right. 
In  theory  all  peoi)le  are  treated  alike ;  in  practice  they 
are  not.  Let  me  illustrate.  I  am  given  forty  acres  of 
land  to  cultivate,  and  am  required  to  work  eight  hoiu's 
a  day  all  the  j'ear  round.  Every  horn-  is  devoted  to  the 
cultivation  of  crops,  care  of  the  harvests,  removing  the 
products,  or  preparing  the  soO  for  the  next  season's 
crops.  I  try  to  be  faithful.  No  other  forty  acres  of 
land  in  this  region  makes  better  returns  than  mine. 
Here  is  my  neighbor  Biiggs  over  the  way,  who  has 
the  same  amount  of  land,  ecpially  as  good  in  all  re- 
spects as  mine ;  he  has  the  same  implements  and  help 
fiu'nished  him  for  use  in  cultivating  the  farm ;  yet  he 
produces  less  than  half  as  much  as  1  do  each  j'ear. 
Wliy  ?  He  is  lazy  and  indolent.  \Mien  he  does  work 
it  is  not  with  industrious  zeal,  but  in  a  lounging,  slip- 
shod manuei-.  Much  of  the  time  he  pretends  to  be 
sick.  I  do  not  wish  to  judge  harshly  or  wi'ongfidly ; 
but  the  facts  must  tell.  He  goes  to  bed — claims  to 
be  in  much  bodily  suffering.  Dr.  Leete,  good-natured 
and  unsuspecting  soul,  conies  out  to  see  him,  examines 
the  case — never  suspects  deceit  or  duplicity — finds  the 
man  sick ;  gives  him  a  certificate  of  illness,  which  is 
good  for  perhaps  a  week,  with  medicines  or  prescrip- 
tion. The  doctor  goes  home.  In  one  hour  Briggs  is 
out  knocking  around,  cursing  what  he  does  not  like, 


LOOiaNG   WITHIN.  173 

and  idling  away  liis  time,  doing  nothing  to  benefit 
himself  or  the  rest  of  the  world.  He  has  ten  children 
and  abont  one  nnrse  all  the  time,  making  thirteen  in 
the  family.  We  have  two  children,  or  four  in  the  fam- 
ily. He  draws  supplies  for  thirteen,  I  for  four.  My 
farm  yields  one  hundred  per  cent. ;  his,  less  than  fifty 
per  cent.  He  gets  three  and  one-fourth  times  more 
for  his  time  than  I  do,  while  I  pay  back  over  twice  as 
much  as  he  does — a  difference  of  one  hundred  per  cent, 
in  profit,  and  of  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  per 
cent,  in  expenses,  or  a  total  of  four  hundred  and 
twenty-five  per  cent.  Is  there  justice  or  right  in  tliat 
difference  ? " 

'*  I  confess  I  do  not  see  any.  I  had  not  thought  of 
the  inequalities  in  that  light.  Cannot  the  government 
provide  for  such  cases  ? " 

"How  provide?  If  a  man  is  detailed  to  watch  every 
farmer  it  wiU  requii'e  as  many  detectives  as  laborers, 
and  these  are  to  be  fed,  clothed,  and  provided  for  as 
others,  so  that  nothing  can  be  gained." 

"  Is  not  this  an  extreme  case  ? " 

"No;  I  wish  it  was.  I  know  of  twenty  other  simi- 
lar cases  which  have  come  under  my  own  observa- 
tion. It  is  safe  to  say  that  not  more  than  one  half 
the  farmers  do  faithful  work.  I  am  now  placing 
the  number  at  the  extreme  limit  of  best  advantage. 
The  other  half  are  more  or  less  derelict  in  duty,  most 
of  them  badly  deficient.  It  is  not  an  inviting  picture ; 
but  it  is  true  to  life.  Read  the  returns  for  farms  in 
Massachusetts,  and  you  will  see  that  I  have  been  lib- 
eral and  over-charitable  in  my  estimates. 

"But  bad  as  this  feature  of  the  working  of  our 
system  is,  there  is  another  still  worse.  To  make  this 
plain  and  intelligible,  I  nmst  state  a  few  primary  facts. 


174  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

There  are  but  three  origiiuil  sources  of  production, 
uaniely,  the  soil,  the  mine,  and  tlie  water.  The  hus- 
bandman, the  miner,  and  the  fisherman  produce  or  de- 
velop all  the  resources  of  the  world  in  their  oriu:iual 
forms  or  conditions.  Then  come  the  forge,  the  loom, 
and  other  appliances,  which,  for  brevity,  may  Ije  termed 
representatives  of  all  transforming  processes.  Here, 
then,  are  four  classes  of  people  who  do  all  the  valuable 
or  productive  labor  of  the  world.  All  other  labor,  if 
it  may  be  dignified  liy  that  tenn,  is  for  personal  com- 
fort or  self -gratification,  and  adds  nothing  to  the  pos- 
sessions of  mankind.  Now  look  at  our  cities,  filled 
with  vast  numbers  of  peoj)le,  nearly  all  of  whom  are 
mere  consmners.  They  produce  absolutely  nothing, 
and  live  off  of  other  people's  toil.  And  they  live 
finely.  Look  at  the  magnificent  public  buildings  in 
Boston ;  and  all  the  other  cities  are  like  it.  WHio  paid 
for  these  costly  structures  ?  They  did  ncjt  come  by 
chance.  They  represent  an  immense  outlay  of  human 
energy ;  but  not  one  in  fom*  of  those  who  enjoy  them 
ever  did  an  hour's  labor  toward  then*  erection.  These, 
more  than  thi-ee  fourths  of  the  denizens  of  our  cities, 
are  the  recipients  of  blessings  secured  by  others. 
Every  brick  and  stone,  every  piece  of  timber,  eveiy 
ounce  of  mortar,  represents  the  toil  of  the  working 
classes  named.  They  are  the  price  of  blood,  for  it 
takes  life  to  accomphsh  these  results,  and  the  blood  is 
the  life.  These  build,  but  others  inhabit.  The  toilers 
produce  the  fruits  of  the  ground,  the  riches  of  the 
mine,  the  stores  of  the  deep,  and  transform  the  same, 
while  the  others  '  eat,  drink,  and  are  merry.' 

"  What  do  four  fifths  of  the  people  in  the  cities  do  ? 
They  cook,  wash  dishes  and  clothes  for  themselves  and 
one  another,  and  nothing  else.     They  toil  not,  neither 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  175 

do  they  spin,  in  the  sense  of  production.  They  do  not 
produce  or  develop  an  onnce  of  the  food  they  eat,  or 
a  thread  of  the  clothing  they  wear.  They  are  simply 
paupers,  fed  and  clothed  by  the  government  from  the 
stores  which  others  bring  into  existence." 

"  That  is  an  entirely  new  aspect  of  the  case,"  I  said, 
struck  with  the  force  and  originality  of  the  statement. 

"  It  is  the  only  truthful  view.  Tell  me,  if  you  can, 
what  the  people  of  the  cities  do  to  provide  their  own 
support  ? " 

<'Dr.  Leete  says  they  are  servants  and  served  by 
tm-ns,  and  all  work." 

"  Work  at  what  ?  Simply  to  minister  to  one  another's 
wants  or  comfort  out  of  the  abundance  we  who  really 
do  labor  furnish  ready  to  their  hand.  They  only  live 
to  consume ;  and  their  enjoyment  is  Hke  dancing  upon 
the  tender  and  bare  nerves  of  the  toilers,  who  face  the 
storms  of  all  seasons,  the  heat  of  summer  and  the  cold 
of  winter,  the  dangers  of  the  mine  and  the  main,  that 
they  may  have  the  wherewithal  to  feed  and  clothe 
themselves,  live  in  comfortable  houses,  and  sing  in 
merriment  over  tlieii*  easy  lives,  free  from  care  or 
anxious  thought.  I  wish  to  emphasize  what  I  have 
ali-eady  said,  that  these  people  are  only  pensioned  pau- 
pers of  the  government,  who  live  upon  the  fat  of  the 
land,  and  never  do  an  hour's  labor  towai-d  the  produc- 
tion of  theii'  own  living. 

"  I  know  that  Dr.  Leete  and  others  who  have  lived 
in  cities  all  their  lives  think  that  serving  each  other 
is  labor.  But  in  the  true  sense  it  is  not.  The  doctor 
talks  about  equalizing-  labor  among  all  classes.  Only 
a  denizen  of  the  city,  who  knows  nothing  about  the 
real  facts  of  the  case,  whose  experience  and  observa- 
tion have  been  confined  to  cities  aU  theii"  Kves,  where 


17G  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

serving  and  sei'ved  are  the  eliief  ends  of  life,  eotdd 
ever  have  conceived  an  idea  so  wide  of  the  tnith  as  it 
is,  or  of  actual  realization.  As  well  assert  that  it  rains 
alike  on  all  days  in  the  year,  or  that  it  is  cold  and 
warm  alike  every  hour  of  the  three  hundred  and  sixty- 
five  days.  We  farmers  have  to  go  out  in  the  sun  and 
rain  of  summer  to  till  the  soil ;  in  the  cold  and  snow 
of  winter  to  feed  the  stock,  and  see  that  nothing  goes 
to  waste.  If  the  grain  or  hay  is  down  and  a  rain  is 
coming  on,  we  must  strain  every  nerve  to  secure  the 
results  of  our  toil.  Some  indolent  farmers,  hke  Briggs, 
do  not  care,  and  permit  the  crops  to  be  damaged  or 
destroyed  by  the  storms.  But  the  conscientious  farmer 
makes  all  possible  effoi-t  to  preserve  that  which  is  Ukely 
to  perish.  How  can  a  man  in  the  cit}',  under  cover  and 
well  provided  for,  do  any  amount  or  kind  of  work  to 
offset  this  experience  of  the  farmer?  The  rain  and 
snow,  sleet  and  hail,  overtake  the  farmer  in  his  toil. 
He  has  no  great  awning,  like  a  continuous  umbrella,  to 
shield  him  from  the  inclement  weather.  He  endm'cs 
the  pelting  of  the  elements  in  all  seasons,  and  under  all 
phases  of  their  visitations.  But  the  paupers  of  the  city 
can  walk  dry-shod  and  in  perfect  safety  under  then-  great 
canopies,  every  foot  of  which  is  constructed  out  of  the 
proceeds  of  the  sweat  and  toil  of  those  who  really  do  labor 
and  suffer  for  the  preservation  and  comfort  of  the  race. 
"  No  man  raised  on  a  farm,  or  deh-ing  in  a  mine,  or 
periling  life  on  the  sea,  would  be  guilty  of  saying  that 
the  labor  of  the  country  is  equally  distributed.  It  is 
only  one  who  belongs  to  the  pauper  class,  or  who  has 
spent  all  his  life  among  that  class,  who  can  sit  down  at 
his  ease,  smoke  his  cigars,  and  expati;ite  on  the  equita- 
ble distribution  of  labor  among  all  classes  and  to  each 
individual.     If  any  kmd  of  work  requii-ed  but  ten 


LOOIONG  WITHIN.  177 

minutes  to  offset  the  eight  hours  of  daily  labor,  the 
doctor  says  it  would  be  so  adjusted.  When  he  can 
control  the  winds  and  the  clouds,  calm  the  tumult  of 
the  seas,  or  remove  all  danger  from  the  mines,  he  may 
talk  in  that  strain  ;  but  not  until  then.  Suppose  that 
during  the  ten  minutes  of  toil  the  mine  should  explode, 
the  ship  go  down,  or  the  cyclone  sweep  the  farmer  away, 
how  w^ould  the  doctor  compensate  for  the  loss  of  life, 
or  make  eight  hours  of  easy  labor  its  equivalent  ?  No, 
sir,  the  paupers  should  be  put  to  some  occupation  of 
real  industry  where  they  woiUd  learn  at  least  the  rudi- 
ments of  true  labor." 

"  Then  you  favor  abolishing  the  cities  ? " 
"  Most  certainly  I  do,  as  at  present  constituted.  What 
are  they  good  for  f  Wliat  purpose  do  they  serve  in  our 
economy  I  They  are  excrescences  on  the  body  politic, 
and  hot-beds  of  vice  socially.  It  is  in  the  cities  that 
nine  tenths  of  all  crimes  are  committed.  In  your  time 
they  served  a  purpose :  they  furnished  markets ;  they 
were  places  of  exchange ;  they  were  business  centers, 
and  were  useful  in  many  ways.  But  they  were  cancers 
even  then  that  ate  out  the  vii'tne  of  the  people.  Now 
they  are  of  no  use  whatever.  They  are  not  marts  for 
the  sale  of  produce ;  there  is  no  produce  for  sale.  They 
furnish  no  means  of  exchange,  for  nothing  is  exchanged. 
Government  does  all  this,  dealing  directly  with  all  the 
people.  This  can  be  done  better  without  the  cities  than 
with  them.  Each  manufacturing  establishment  can  be 
selected  as  the  site  for  a  depository  where  the  raw 
materials  can  be  delivered  and  goods  served  to  the 
people.  Compel  the  paupers  to  become  producers.  If 
the  number  is  so  gi-eat  that  less  time  need  be  spent  in 
labor  from  each  one  to  furnish  needed  supplies,  then 
let  fewer  hom-s  be  devoted  to  toil. 


178  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

"  But  the  whole  system  is  -wi-ong.  I  am  a  radical  on 
this  point.  There  can  be  no  improvement,  no  develop- 
ment in  i)rogTess,  where  there  is  no  adequate  incentive 
to  action,  as  you  have  probably  heard  Mr.  Hume  remark. 
Our  ag-ricultural  implements  are  no  better  than  those 
in  use  fitty  years  ago.  The  genius  of  progi-ess  seems 
to  have  folded  her  wings  and  retii-ed  fi-om  among  men. 
Occasionally,  at  rare  intervals,  some  one  stum])les  upon 
some  new  thing,  or  some  improvement  of  the  old.  But 
who  will  devote  time,  talent,  labor,  and  money,  or  the 
scrip  which  represents  it,  thus  depri^■ing•  himself  and  his 
family,  if  he  has  one,  of  the  comforts  of  life,  for  the 
pui'pose  of  devising  some  new  thing,  when  the  thing 
itself  is  not  his  after  he  has  found  it,  but  belongs  to  me 
as  weU,  and  to  no  one  in  particular  ?  As  the  govern- 
ment owns  him  and  his  invention,  he  will  not  trouble 
himself  to  invent." 

"  Dr.  Leete  speaks  of  prizes  or  awards  to  those  who 
excel  in  any  line,"  I  said. 

''What  do  these  amount  to?  It  is  simply  being 
gazetted  as  a  successful  person  in  the  particular  depart- 
ment of  labor  or  entei*prise  where  he  belongs.  I  have 
had  this  honor  repeatedly  as  the  one  who  excelled  as  a 
farmer.  But  it  is  empty  as  the  wind.  The  name  is 
read  and  in  an  hom-  forgotten ;  the  medal  is  seen  to- 
day and  to-morrow  is  remembered  no  more.  The  fickle 
midtitude  shout,  '  Hosanna  to  oiu-  King  ! '  one  day,  and 
the  next  cry  out  as  vociferously,  '  Crucify  Him ! '  He 
who  spends  his  vital  or  mental  force  to  secm-e  such 
empty  applause  and  ephemeral  notorietj^  has  little  ap- 
preciation of  then*  real  value.  They  have  in  them  no 
quality  which  can  stimulate  human  industry  or  skill." 

"  I  fear  you  are  a  pessimist,"  I  remarked. 

"I  think  not,     I  endeavor  to  look  at  all  matters 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  179 

calmly  and  rationally.  Can  you  point  out  wherein  I 
am  in  error  or  a.  pessimist  ? " 

"Not  on  the  spot.  Your  statements  are  rather 
stunning  in  theu'  character ;  and  certainly  you  do  not 
lack  force  in  giving  expression  to  them.  Do  you  wish 
to  return  to  the  old  ways  ? " 

"  I  do  not  fidly  understand  what  you  mean  by  '  old 
ways.'  My  impression  is  that  the  old  ways  were  gradu- 
ally improving  all  the  time.  Much  that  then  existed  is 
better  than  what  we  have  now.  The  removal  of  motive 
for  personal  activity  has  proved  a  great  loss — in  fact,  it 
is  death  to  enterprise  and  development.  The  lack  of 
intercourse  and  communication  among  om*  people  is 
proving  disastrous.  But  I  will  not  attempt  an  enu- 
meration of  the  lame  places  in  our  system.  It  is  too 
defective  all  over  to  require  analysis.  When  a  man 
loses  his  personal  identity  and  becomes  the  tool  or  in- 
strument of  another,  whether  that  other  be  a  man  or 
a  government,  he  is  too  near  a  cipher  to  ever  become  a 
power  in  the  world.  If  he  were  a  slave  and  still  had 
an  interest  in  and  control  over  the  products  of  his 
genius  or  skill,  there  would  be  hope  for  him.  But  even 
this  privilege  is  denied  to  American  citizens  under  our 
economy." 

"  Your  estimate  is  gloomy  indeed.  Have  you  no  plan 
of  improvement,  or  no  substitute  ? " 

"  I  do  not  dignify  my  notions  into  the  realm  of  plans. 
It  seems  to  me  that  the  benefits  of  our  system  can  be 
retained  in  connection  with  the  blessings  of  a  system 
which  secures  personal  freedom  and  the  right  to  enjoy 
the  fruits  of  one's  own  toil,  whether  of  mind  or  body.  If 
the  government  has  the  right  to  demand  and  command 
the  services  of  all  its  citizens,  sui-ely  it  has  the  right  to 
dispose  of  its  pauper  population  by  compelhng  them  to 


180  LOOKING    WITHIN. 

work  for  the  common  weal,  as  others  aud  myself  are 
compelled  to  work.  If  I  understand  the  facts,  the  change 
from  individual  to  united  effort  was  made  almost  ex- 
clusively for  the  Ijenetit  of  the  poor,  or  to  hanish  poverty 
from  the  land.  If  the  government  had  set  apart  a  i)or- 
tion  of  its  public  domain  while  yet  under  its  control, 
and  then  made  all  the  paupers  and  the  poor  who  were 
able  to  work  go  to  such  reserved  lauds  and  make  their 
own  li\4ng,  the  remedy  would  either  have  removed  or 
greatly  mitigated  tlie  disease.  It  kept  thousands  of 
Indians  on  reservations  and  fed  them  from  the  proceeds 
of  the  toil  of  the  white  population.  This  last  feature 
was  a  nuinifest  injustice,  unless  by  some  process  of  rea- 
soning, not  clear  to  me,  this  policy  and  procedm'e  were 
designed  as  pa^-meut  for  the  land,  to  which  the  Indians 
had  a  very  questioual)le  title.  It  was  not  placed  ui)on 
this  footing,  so  far  as  the  re(;ords  show.  Why  did  the 
government  take  such  care  of  the  Indians  aud  not 
provide  for  its  owm  poor  ?  If  it  could  compel  Indians 
to  go  to  certain  specified  districts  of  country,  why  not 
compel  the  unprovided  poor  of  the  white  population  to 
do  the  sanu'  thing  ?  I  am  unable  to  see  why  one  of  these 
policies  might  not  have  been  adopted  as  weU  as  the 
other.  I  am  aware  that  the  theory  of  government  then 
was  essentially  different  from  what  it  is  now,  and  was 
not  in  the  line  of  this  suggestion.  But  self-preservation 
and  wide  benevolence  both  ai)])ear  to  me  to  demand 
such  a  poUcy,  or  something  kindred  to  it ;  and  self- 
preservation  is  nature's  first  law.  Possibly  my  present 
environments  disqualify  me  as  a  judge  in  the  premises  ; 
and  yet  the  possilulity  of  these  existing  envu-onments 
is  a  factor  to  be  taken  into  consideration  of  the  subject. 
Certainly  such  a  c(uirse  woidd  have  lieen  prefei-able  to 
the  wholesale  destruction  of  life  and  property  by  a  fif- 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  181 

teen  years'  war,  diiriug  which  both  the  wealthy  and  the 
poor  of  the  hmd  disappeared. 

"■  There  was  still  another  method  by  wliich  the  poor 
might  have  been  relieved,  and  all  the  real  benefits  of 
our  system,  conil)ined  with  the  advantages  of  the  old, 
been  secured.  A  tax  for  the  poor  could  have  been  de- 
vised by  the  use  of  which  employment  could  have  been 
secured  in  some  department  of  industry,  if  such  depart- 
ment had  to  be  provided  by  the  government.  Those 
who  possessed  wealth  could  much  better  have  devoted 
a  tenth  of  it  to  provide  for  the  poor  than  to  lose  it  all 
in  the  hope  of  saving  it  intact." 

"I  am  afraid  your  plans  are  too  visionary.  They 
certainly  would  have  been  considered  so  in  my  time." 

"  If  they  are  more  visionary  or  revolutionary  than 
the  one  which  makes  the  government  owner  of  the  man 
and  the  products  of  his  labor,  I  fail  to  see  it." 

"  Possibly  not.  But  to  me,  just  from  the  nineteenth 
centmy,  they  appear  novel  and  scarcely  practicable. 
But,  of  course,  I  may  be  wrong.  Do  you  think  the 
present  condition  of  things  is  permanent  1 " 

''  Not  by  any  means.  It  is  the  most  difficult  thing 
in  the  world  to  make  machines  of  men.  Ah-eady  the 
murmurs  of  discontent  can  be  heard  on  every  hand.  I 
am  sure  the  thrifty  farmers  are  ill  at  ease.  They  do 
not  fancy  being  placed  on  the  same  level  with  the  idle 
and  careless  ones.  There  is  growing  discontent  in  every 
direction.  If  you  will  accompany  Mr.  Hume  on  some 
of  his  excursions  through  the  city,  you  will  find  that 
even  among  the  paupers  there  is  dissatisfaction.  And 
of  all  others  they  ought  to  feel  themselves  highly 
favored.  They  are  daily  and  yearly  receiving  some- 
thing for  nothing.  Instead  of  being  thankful,  they 
claim  this  as  their  right,  and  are  the  most  self-impor- 


182  LOOKLKa   WITHIX. 

taut  class  of  all  our  population,  wliicli  fact  does  not 
tend  to  hai-monize  opinions  and  feelings." 

"  You  predict  a  change,  then  ? " 

"Yes;  in  less  than  five  years  there  will  he  changes 
and  modifications,  if  not  an  actual  revolution.  Labor 
is  now  organized,  not  against  capital,  but  in  opposition 
to  pampered  pauperism  in  places  of  ease.  But  it  is 
doing  its  work  quietly." 

I  thanked  Mr.  Acre  for  his  kindness  in  giving  me  the 
benefit  of  so  long  an  inter\dew.  After  a  j)leas;int  I'isit 
with  the  family  we  returned  to  the  city. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

In  accordance  with  Mr.  Acre's  suggestion,  I  sought 
an  early  opportunity  to  accompany  Mr.  Hume  through 
the  city. 

We  first  visited  the  magnificent  public  edifices,  which 
were  the  pride  of  Boston.  I  need  not  dwell  on  their 
elegance ;  the  reader  can  picture  as  well  as  I  caii  de- 
scribe them.  The  vast  awnings  were  dehghtfid  i-e- 
treats  from  the  heat  or  the  rain.  As  we  examined 
these  buildings  and  tlieu*  adornments,  my  companion 
said: 

"  These  are  some  of  the  costly  structures  of  which 
Mr.  Acre  complains  so  earnestly." 

"  What  is  the  object  of  such  lavish  expenditures  ? "  I 
asked. 

"Simply  to  adorn  and  beautify  the  city.  It  is  to 
gratify  the  pride  of  the  citizens." 

"  Then  I  do  not  blame  Mr.  Acre  for  feeling  indignant." 

"  One  half  the  labor  and  expense  would  meet  all  the 
requu'ements  both  of  comfort  and  usefulness." 

"  The  other  half  goes  for  aesthetic  taste,  I  suppose." 

"More  nearly  for  ostentation.  They  were  erected 
years  ago,  w^hen  there  was  prosperity,  and  when  there 
were  funds  to  expend.  No  new  structures  are  now  in 
process  of  erection  because  no  means  are  left  for  such 
purposes." 

This  last  remark  made  little  impression  at  the  time, 
but  afterwards  was  vividly  recalled  to  mind.     When 

183 


184  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

the  gi'ancleur  and  glory  of  the  city  had  been  observed, 
Mr.  Hume  said : 

"  You  have  seen  the  beauty  and  splendor  of  Boston ; 
now  we  "will  look  upon  its  wretchedness  and  squalor." 

I  found  no  tenement-houses,  no  rickety  stairs  to 
climb,  no  damp  and  reeking  cellars  to  explore.  Out- 
ward appearances  were  not  unpleasant ;  until  the  inner 
veil  was  dra"«Ti  aside  nothing  repul.sive  was  encountered. 

Then  I  saw  sights  to  chill  the  blood.  Children 
nearly  naked  ran  to  hide  ;  women  half-clad  sought  to  es- 
cape observation  ;  little  ones  crying  for  bread ;  fathers 
beastly  di'unk !  I  cannot  find  it  in  my  heart  to  depict 
the  scenes  of  wi*etchedness  and  misery  which  I  beheld. 
Except  in  the  matter  of  houses  only,  which  could  not 
be  sold,  what  I  saw  was  a  repetition  of  the  degradation 
of  the  nineteenth  century.     I  inquired  indignantly : 

''  How  can  these  things  be,  under  your  paternal  gov- 
ernment ? " 

"  Simply  because  these  men  and  women  are  selfish 
and  sinful." 

"  W\ij  are  they  not  punished  ? " 

"We  have  no  laws  provided  for  such  cases.  It  was 
confidently  believed  they  would  not  and  could  not  exist 
under  our  beneficent  economy.  I  have  reported  the 
facts  to  the  government  repeatedly,  but  wdthout  results. 
I  am  simply  directed  to  do  the  best  I  can  until  a  remedy 
shall  be  devised." 

"  This  is  dreadful !  Fathers  di'unk,  and  wife  and 
children  ragged  and  hungry ;  pai'ents  both  (h'unk,  and 
children  naked  and  star\dug !  Does  Dr.  Leete  know 
this  state  of  affair-s  ? " 

"  He  does  not  believe  these  evils  exist." 

''  Wliy  does  he  not  investigate  ? " 

"  I  have  frequently  invited  him  to  accompany  me  as 


LOOKING   WITHIN.  185 

you  are  doing-,  but  lie  is  either  too  busy  or  has  no  in- 
cliuation  to  do  so.  I  sometimes  think  it  will  do  no 
good  to  destroy  his  dream  of  human  happiness  by  these 
exhibitions  of  depravity,  suffering,  and  wretehedness." 

"  I  think  he  and  every  citizen  ought  to  know  the  facts 
and  remedy  these  teriible  wrongs  if  possible." 

"Did  knowledge  of  wrongs  enable  you  to  remedy 
them  hi  the  nineteenth  centmy  ? " 

''  Only  to  a  limited  extent.  But  the  conditions  now 
and  then  are  so  different." 

''  True.  But  men  are  the  same.  Taste  and  passion 
are  the  same.  Men  cannot  be  reformed  by  either  Ijread 
or  law.  There  is  no  moral  quality  in  either  of  these. 
You  doubtless  recall  many  instances  in  your  time  when 
there  would  be  a  black  sheep  in  this  family  and  that — 
a  devil,  as  it  were,  coming  from  a  comj^any  of  angels. 
Then  again  there  were  white  sheep  coming  from  bad 
families,  like  angels  coming  from  a  company  of  devils, 
so  to  speak.  Yet  these  black  sheep  and  white  sheep 
had  the  same  care,  shelter,  food,  clothing,  and  parental 
care  as  the  others.  No  philosopher  has  ever  been  able 
to  account  for  the  difference.  But  there  it  is,  a  stern 
fact,  known  and  seen  of  all  men.  It  is  the  same  under 
our  paternal  government,  only,  there  being  one  great 
family,  the  black  sheep  are  multiphed  a  thousandfold. 
You  have  witnessed  some  of  the  results;  I  will  now 
show  3^ou  more.  As  before  stated,  I  have  not  succeeded 
in  getting  Dr.  Leete  to  look  upon  these  evidences  of 
want,  suffering,  and  sin,  because  of  his  disinchnation 
to  see  or  believe  anything  that  is  not  desirable  in  our 
social  order.  And  then,  too,  '  where  ignorance  is  bliss 
'tis  foUy  to  be  wise.'  We  will  now  look  in  upon  the 
gamblers." 

It  woidd  be  a  waste  of  time  and  space  to  narrate  all 


186  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

oiir  adventures  in  the  dens  where  men  lost  and  won  as 
of  old.  It  was  a  rei)etitlon  of  the  same  deeds  as  made 
men  mad  in  the  nineteenth  century.  The  gumblei's  en- 
(U'uvored  to  escape  in  some  instances,  in  others  to  hide 
the  evidences  of  their  nefarious  practices.  But  Mr. 
Hume  knew  them.  Tlieir  devi(;es  were  confiscated  and 
destroyed ;  numbers  of  them  were  arrested  and  fined. 
For  the  time  their  operations  were  terminated ;  but 
they  woidd  soon  rally  and  try  again.  The  pri\'ate  stills 
and  breweries  were  also  raided  and  captm-ed  as  far  as 
discovered,  and  destroyed,  the  operators  })unished. 

Deplorable  as  were  the  evils  of  drink  and  gambling, 
the  orgies  revealed  at  night  under  cover  of  darkness 
were  still  worse.  The  former  led  to  physical  and 
financial  distress,  the  latter  to  mt)ral  ruin.  People  of 
whom  better  things  would  be  expected  were  found  en- 
gaged in  riotous  living,  to  depict  which  would  defile 
these  pages.  I  was  horrified  at  the  revelations.  My 
very  soul  was  made  sick.  I  finally  begged  my  guide 
to  take  me  from  such  scenes  of  debauchery  and  crime. 
I  almost  felt  a  loatliing  of  my  kind  as  I  esca2)ed  with  a 
shudder  from  the  presence  and  dominion  of  "her 
whose  steps  take  hold  on  hell."  I  breathed  freer  when 
I  reached  God's  pure  air  once  more. 

"And  this  is  Boston  in  the  year  2000  !  This  is  Dr. 
Leete's  Eden  !  Heaven  save  the  mark  !  "  I  exclaimed. 
Mr.  Hume  replied : 

"Not  Boston  proper,  my  friend,  only  undergi'ound 
Boston." 

"  It  matters  not  what  name  or  qualification  you  g-ive 
it ;  it  is  the  same  old  hell  upon  earth  of  former  times. 
The  glory  of  the  new  era  grows  dim  ;  its  gold  is  tinsel ; 
its  beauty  vanishes.  It  is  the  illusive  fruit  of  Sodom, 
enticing  to  behold,  turned  to  bitter  ashes  on  the  Lips." 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  187 

'^  I  am  afraid  you  are  too  severe.  You  have  been  too 
suddenly  awakened  from  a  pleasant  di-eam.  Human 
nature,  as  I  said,  is  the  same  as  it  was  in  your  day,  no 
better,  no  worse.  Our  mistake  has  been  in  presuming 
that  appliances  whicli  have  no  moral  qualities  or  prop- 
erties in  themselves  coidd,  nevertheless,  impart  these 
to  men.  This  is  nothing-  new.  It  has  been  a  mistake 
of  the  ages,  even  of  the  church  at  times.  It  is  more 
manifest  in  oiu-  case  because  it  is  on  such  a  wide  scale. 
You  must  not  do  us  injustice." 

"  I  would  not  l)e  unjust  to  the  meanest  creature  God 
has  made ;  but  what  am  I  to  think  of  the  morals  of  a 
community  whose  most  favored  members  are  giiilty  of 
these  excesses  ? " 

"It  is  nothing  new.  Were  not  kings,  queens,  and 
princes  guilty  of  like  conduct  through  all  the  past 
centuries  ?  Were  not  the  rich  of  youi-  day  often  as  bad 
as  these  ? " 

"  True." 

"Yes,  true,  because  the  master  passion  of  the  human 
heart  when  once  unchained  becomes  master  of  the  man. 
Our  people  have  plenty  of  leisure  and  no  care  for  bodily 
needs  or  comfort.  Under  such  favorable  conditions 
what  but  disastrous  residts  coidd  be  expected  ? " 

"  This  is  such  a  rude  shock  to  me  that  I  must  have 
time  to  reflect.  I  had  earnestly  hoped  for  better  things. 
I  was  largely  inclined  to  the  optimistic  view  of  the 
new  dispensation.  The  kaleidoscope  is  broken ;  its 
fragments  he  scattered  at  my  feet.  I  must  find  time 
and  place  to  collect  and  replace  them  under  the  new 
light." 

An  incident  occun*ed  dm-ing  the  day  which  I  now  re- 
late because  of  its  after-consequence.  Mr.  Hume  entered 
a  building  to  transact  some  business ;  I  took  a  seat  by 


188  LOOKING    WITHIN. 

the  dooi",  inside.    Two  ladit^s  passed  by,  between  whom 
I  lieard  this  fragment  of  conversation : 

"  I  think  she  will  not  carry  her  head  so  high  after  we 
are  done  with  lier." 

"What  will  Mr.  West  do  when  he  sees  her?" 

"  I  think  the  sight  will  dampen  his  ardor,  and " 

They  passed  out  of  hearing,  and  the  remainder  of  the 
sentence  was  not  heard  by  me.  Before  I  had  time  to 
consider  the  purport  of  this  conversation  Mr.  Hume  was 
ready  and  we  resumed  our  way.  As  I  stepped  into  the 
street  my  eye  glanced  in  the  direction  the  women  were 
going.  I  saw  them  enter  a  house.  Prompted  by  I  know 
not  what,  I  made  a  note  of  the  street  and  number.  Five 
minutes  later  the  incident  passed  from  my  mind  com- 
pletely, and  probably  never  would  have  been  recalled 
but  for  subsequent  events  to  be  nari'ated  hereafter. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Effie  and  I  received  a  very  cordial  invitation  to  visit 
again  Mr.  Acre's  family.  We  selected  a  beautiful  day 
and  set  out  early  in  the  afternoon,  intending  to  explore 
the  country  in  several  directions.  Neither  of  us  had 
been  favored  with  an  opportunity  to  see  the  environ- 
ments of  the  city. 

Many  of  the  views  were  enchanting.  We  ascended 
to  an  altitude  where  the  distant  ocean  was  distinctly 
visible  as  it  spread  out  away  in  the  far  distance  and 
kissed  the  bending  sky.  Few  vessels  were  in  sight  on 
its  placid  bosom.  There  were  no  evidences  of  commer- 
cial activity ;  no  smoking  steamers  hastening  into  port 
or  speeding  away  to  other  chmes ;  no  vessels  in  the 
harbor  loading  and  unloading  their  cargoes ;  no  indi- 
cations of  trade  and  traf&c.  How  different  from  the 
nineteenth  century ! 

Away  off  to  the  northward  were  the  dim  outlines  of 
the  Green  Mountains;  in  all  directions  places  of  his- 
toric interest.     The  scene  was  exhilarating. 

Presently  we  turned  our  attention  to  the  fields  and 
farms  beneath  us,  and  descended  to  get  into  closer 
proximity  to  them.  It  required  no  skill  of  the  specialist 
to  discover  the  truth  of  what  Mr.  Acre  had  said  about 
slovenly  farming.  I  could  detect  good  and  bad  cultiva- 
tion and  care  at  sight.  My  early  experience  gave  me 
this  advantage.     Only  a  small  proportion  of  the  farms 

189 


190  LOOKING  ^^^THIN. 

were  in  first-class  order ;  more  were  in  a  fail*  condition ; 
a  majority  were  discrcditiOdo  to  the  oceujjant.s ;  while 
large  numbers  were  in  such  miserable  plight  as  con- 
firmed the  worst  estimate  Mr.  Acre  had  placed  upon 
them.  "With  equal  facilities  on  the  part  of  all,  the  dis- 
pai'ity  was  much  greater  than  in  my  time. 

We  were  welcomed  with  open  hospitality,  and  Effie 
found  new  friends  of  congenial  tastes.  At  my  request 
Mr.  Acre  enUghteued  us  again. 

"As  I  said  to  you  the  other  day,  there  is  great 
inequality  in  the  distribution  of  the  burdens  of  lal)or. 
The  jjcople  of  the  cities  have  all  the  ease,  those  of  the 
country  all  the  hardships.  You  have  seen  the  elegance 
and  splendor  of  the  city.  Do  you  see  any  of  it  in  the 
country  ?  No ;  you  find  only  plain  accommodations 
here,  without  ornament  or  adornment  of  any  kind — 
nothing  to  cultivate  a  taste  for  the  beautiful.  The 
buildings  are  fau'ly  convenient  and  plainly  substantial. 
We  produce;  the  denizens  of  the  city  cook  and  eat. 
We  not  only  produce  the  food  of  the  nation,  but  we 
do  oui-  own  cooking  and  washing;  in  the  cities  the 
cooking  is  done  by  wholesale  and  the  washing  and 
ironing  by  machinery.  If  close  by,  farmers  can  avail 
themselves  of  these  advantages;  but  when  a  few  miles 
distant  it  is  very  inconvenient,  if  not  impossible,  to  do 
so.  Farmers'  wives  have  no  easy  time  with  theii*  work. 
Eight  hours  with  them  often  lengthens  to  ten  or  twelve 
when  they  cultivate  refinement  or  have  aesthetic  tastes 
to  gratify. 

"■  It  is  this  gi'cat  disparity  between  the  comforts  of 
the  city  and  the  hardships  and  privations  of  the  coun- 
try that  causes  such  a  rush  of  people  to  the  former. 
Tliis  tendency  has  produced  its  legitimate  effect.  With 
all  its  care  to  pro^ide  food  in  abundance  to  meet  all  the 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  191 

demands  of  consumption,  tlie  government  finds  itself 
embarrassed  to  keep  up  the  snpply.  Young-  men  in- 
cline to  choose  occupations  in  the  cities  for  the  reasons 
already  given ;  and  who  can  blame  them  1  As  a  result 
the  crop  reports  show  a  steady  relative  dechne,  while 
the  census  returns  show  a  steady  relative  increase,  of 
population  in  the  cities.  There  can  be  but  one  of  two 
outcomes — a  scarcity  of  food,  or  a  compulsory  distribu- 
tion of  labor.  Akeady  this  alternative  is  staring  the 
government  squarely  in  the  face.  For  twenty-five  or 
thii-ty  years,  while  the  country  was  recuperating  and 
the  rel)uilding  of  the  cities  requii-ed  hard  labor,  this 
tendency  did  not  exist  or  was  not  observed ;  but  now 
it  is  too  apparent  to  be  mistaken.  Our  pohcy  is  one 
for  the  growth  of  cities  and  not  for  the  development 
of  the  farming  interests.  The  food  supply  must  be 
looked  after." 

"  Why  not  appropriate  the  cities  exclusively  to  the 
old  people  retired  on  pensions,  and  have  the  rest  all 
distributed  for  productive  and  mechauical  labor?"  I 
said.  "Certainly  tins  would  be  more  equitable  and 
judicious  tlian  the  present  methods  ? " 

"  It  has  been  suggested  and  will  doubtless  be  carried 
out  in  time,  perhaps  soon.  When  we  have  the  census 
returns  for  tliis  year  completed  and  analyzed,  some 
action  will  be  taken.  I  am  expecting  much  valuable 
and  uscfrd  information  from  that  source. 

"There  is  one  other  element  of  hardship  in  the 
farmer's  lot  which  at  first  does  not  appear.  It  is  only 
learned  from  experience.  Government  can  make  no 
provision  for  permanent  family  homes.  Next  year  I 
shall  be  forty-five,  and  my  time  for  the  occupancy  of 
this  house  will  expire.  It  then  reverts  to  the  govern- 
ment.    My  son  wiU  probably  succeed  me.     That  is  the 


192  LOOKING  ^\^THIN. 

rule  where  all  parties  are  agreed,  and  is  found  to  operate 
well.     This  will  break  up  om*  happy  family  relations." 

The  tears  came  into  Mr.  Acre's  eyes,  and  his  lips 
quivered.  His  w^fe  saw  his  emotion  and  came  at  once 
to  his  side ;  she  had  heard  the  last  words  uttered,  and 
knew  that  a  sore  place  had  been  touched.  As  a  com- 
forter she  placed  a  hand  on  each  side  of  his  head  and 
said  cheernv : 

*'  Never  mind,  dear.  We  shall  be  left  to  each  other, 
and  some  home  "will  be  provided  for  us." 

*'  Yes,  but  all  these  cherished  associations  will  be  cut 
off,"  he  replied.  "Here  we  have  spent  all  the  years 
of  om'  wedded  life ;  here  our  childi*en  have  been  born 
and  grown  up.  We  have  tried  to  make  home  attractive 
for  their  sakes  and  for  ourselves ;  and  now  so  soon  it 
will  all  be  over." 

He  spoke  with  deep  emotion,  and  the  tears  that  had 
stood  in  his  eyes,  held  back  by  force  of  will,  now  slowly 
rolled  down  his  cheeks.  Unable  longer  to  master  her 
own  f eeUngs,  the  "vsif e's  cheeks  were  also  wet.  I  looked 
at  Effie.  She  also  was  crying.  Every  eye  in  that  house 
Avas  full  of  tears.  After  a  time  I  found  command  of 
myself  and  said : 

'*  This  is  an  entu*ely  new  feature  of  the  case  to  me. 
Cannot  such  a  calamity  as  the  breaking  up  of  famiUes 
be  averted  ? " 

"  How  can  it  be  ?  The  government  can  never  know 
how  many  children  there  will  be  in  a  family ;  and  even 
if  it  did  know,  how  could  it  provide  homes  for  all  of 
them  ?  If  my  son  is  my  successor  here,  which  we  all 
expect,  we  can  remain  Anth  him  until  he  is  married. 
But  to  keep  him  single  until  we  died  would  be  more 
cruel  than  for  us  to  find  a  new  place  to  live.  The  order 
of  nature  is  reversed  by  our  artificial  society.     Instead 


LOOKING  WITHm.  193 

of  the  parents  retaining  the  homestead,  as  yon  nsed 
to  call  it,  but  which  is  no  homestead  at  all  under  our 
economy,  the  children,  or  one  of  them,  remains  in  pos- 
session, and  the  parents  are  turned  out  of  house  and 
home  and  sent  elsewhere.  The  land  is  cut  up  into 
forty-acre  tracts  and  less.  If  there  are  ten  children  in 
the  family,  it  would  require  ten  houses,  or  one  to  eacli 
four  acres,  to  accommodate  them  mth  separate  homes. 
Another  generation  equally  prolific  would  require  one 
hundred  additional  houses,  and  the  forty  acres  would 
be  a  village.  Any  I'ate  of  increase  would  soon  Ijlot 
out  all  the  farms  of  the  country,  and  no  tillable  land 
would  be  left.  Necessity  compels  the  old  occupants  to 
be  sent  out." 

''  Under  the  old  system  of  things  families  were 
separated  when  the  children  grew  up  and  were  mar- 
ried," I  said. 

''  True ;  yet  where  father  and  mother  lived  was 
always  home  to  the  cliildren.  Now  there  is  no  home 
association.  One  married  son  or  daughter  may  succeed 
the  parents,  and  the  rest  are  dumped  out  in  the  cold, 
or  sent  to  some  strange  place  to  live.  That  dear  old 
song,  '  Home,  Sweet  Home,'  is  largely  a  legend  of  the 
past.  Separation  is  now  compulsory,  not  voluntary, 
and  that  makes  all  the  difference  in  the  world.  It  is 
the  difference  between  freemen  and  slaves." 

"I  understand  now,  as  I  did  not  then,"  I  remarked, 
"  what  you  said  the  other  day,  when  you  designated 
the  people  as  slaves,  and  the  government  as  the  one 
great  master.  I  fear  I  shall  never  be  able  to  love  this 
system  of  government.  Every  new  development  ren- 
ders it  less  attractive." 

"  It  becomes  more  apparent  also  why  the  city  is  pref- 
erable to  the  country  as  a  place  of  residence.     At  the 


194  LOOKINO    WITHIN. 

end  of  the  forty-five  years  there,  no  necessity  may 
arise  for  a  change  of  residence.  The  occupations  do 
not  reqiiu'e  it  as  here.  Dr.  Leete  will  doubtless  retain 
possession  of  his  present  residence  when  his  daughter 
marries.  She  will  find  the  new  home,  or  possibly  reside 
with  her  parents,  as  she  is  the  only  child.  He  never  can 
know  the  sad  experience  of  the  farmer,  and  is  utterly 
disqualified  to  pass  judgment  on  the  question  of  our 
civilization  as  it  affects  us." 

"■  I  never  should  have  guessed  at  these  facts,  but  as 
you  state  them,  I  perceive  the  impossibility  of  their  be- 
ing anything  else  but  facts.  Nor  do  I  see  any  way  to 
avoid  them  or  then-  painfid  accompaniments." 

"  And  the  reasons  for  the  popularity  of  city  life  are 
also  made  more  and  more  apparent.  Farms  mtII  have 
to  be  cut  down  to  twenty,  ten,  and  even  five  acres  in 
time.  But  that  does  not  change  the  results.  WTien 
the  time  comes  the  occupauts  must  go ;  the  actual 
farmer  must  be  the  resident  on  the  farm." 

"  I  perceive  the  logic  of  the  situation.  But  is  there 
no  compensation  ? " 

''  In  a  sense  there  is.  Government  is  bound  to  furnish 
every  citizen  a  place  to  dwell  in,  Avhether  it  be  called 
home  or  not.  In  that  all  have  houses  to  occupy,  our 
system  is  an  improvement  upon  its  predecessor.  It 
feeds  all  in  theory  also ;  but,  as  you  have  seen  with 
Mr.  Hume,  some  go  hungry,  despite  the  good  intent  of 
the  government." 

"  Yes,  I  understand  that  now ;  yet  it  seems  to  me  a 
remedy  ought  to  be  pro\dded." 

"  Not  until  humanity  ceases  to  be  selfish." 

"You  said  the  other  day  there  would  be  changes 
made  soon.     Of  what  nature  are  tbey?" 

"  I  do  not  feel  at  Uberty  to  exj^lain  now.    One  thing, 


LOOKING   WITHIN.  195 

the  able-bodied  paupers  of  the  cities  will  be  compelled 
to  engage  in  some  productive  labor,  and  the  cities  given 
up  largely  to  the  pensioners.  The  necessity  for  an  in- 
crease of  food-supphes  to  keep  pace  with  the  growth 
of  population  is  upon  us  and  must  be  met.  But,  as  I 
said  to  you  the  other  day,  there  must  be  even  more 
radical  changes  before  satisfactory  results  of  a  perma- 
nent character  can  be  attained.  Change  or  stagnation 
must  come  ;  and  stagnation  is  the  prelude  to  death.  I 
do  not  think  we  shall  die." 

Much  more  I  desired  to  ask  my  host ;  but  the  time 
for  our  departure  had  come,  and  with  a  sense  of  in- 
debtedness for  the  cordial  hospitahty  of  our  entertain- 
ers, whose  society  had  been  to  us  a  rich  treat,  we  bade 
them  adieu. 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

The  following  day  I  ^dsite(i  some  of  the  factories  to 
see  how  they  were  managed.  I  learned  nothing  of 
importance.  No  new  method  and  no  improvement  on 
old  ones  were  \dsible.  There  was  no  energy,  no  push, 
no  enterprise.  Slowness  seemed  to  prevail  everywhere, 
and  in  all  departments  of  endeavor.  I  appreciated  bet- 
ter Mr.  Acre's  remark  about  stagnation. 

On  returning  to  our  I'ooni  I  found  Effie  in  a  state  of 
gi'cat  excitement. 

''What  is  it?"  I  asked. 

"  Have  you  not  heard  about  Edith  Leete  ?  " 

"  No.     Anything  serious  ?  " 

"  The  most  fiendish  act  of  its  kind  ever  perpetrated 
upon  a  human  being.  She  is  utterly  disfigured.  Her 
former  beauty  is  tui-ned  into  hideousness.  I  cannot 
describe  it ;  you  must  see  for  yom'self .  She  is  totally 
prostrated ;  so  are  her  parents.  Mr.  "West  has  not 
seen  her  yet,  and  she  cannot  bear  the  thought  of  his 
seeing  her." 

"  Is  the  disfigurement  or  deformity  permanent  ? " 

"  It  is  said  it  can  never  be  removed.  But  come  with 
me  and  see  her.  The  doctor  desires  it  greatly.  Com- 
fort them  if  you  can." 

We  wcn-e  at  Dr.  Loete's  in  a  few  minutes.  At  first 
Edith  would  not  permit  me  to  see  her  face ;  finally  she 
removed  the  thick  veil  from  over  it.     I  was  startled  at 

196 


LOOmNG  WITHIN.  197 

the  sight.  On  one  cheek  was  the  pictm-e  of  a  creature, 
half  human,  half  fish,  sunilar  to  the  representations  of 
mermaids  of  old.  Its  face  was  a  gross  caricature,  but 
retained  enough  distorted  resemblance  to  give  assurance 
it  was  intended  to  delineate  Miss  Leete  herself.  On 
the  other  cheek  was  an  ogi*e  looking  toward  her  with  a 
kind  of  leer  and  gi-oss  admu-ation.  The  mermaid  figure 
was  nude  from  the  waist  upward.  On  the  neck,  with 
its  head  reaching  up  and  over  the  chin,  was  a  thii-d 
figure,  evidently  intended  as  a  caricature  of  Mr.  West. 
Beneath,  on  the  lower  part  of  the  neck,  just  at  the  base 
of  the  last-named  figure,  this  legend  was  painted  in 
distinct  letters : 

"  Mr.  West  sees  Edith  making  love  to  another." 

Any  movement  of  the  face  caused  the  figures  to 
grimace  at  each  other  detestably.  It  was  a  most  in- 
genious and  Satanic  piece  of  work,  requiring  great  skill 
and  adroit  ability  in  its  line,  but  marked  by  a  depth  of 
depravity  beyond  comprehension.  What  human  being 
could  have  such  malice  toward  one  so  lovely  and  lov- 
able as  Miss  Leete  ? 

"  Who  did  this  ? "  I  asked  in  indignation. 

''  I  will  tell  you  the  whole  story,"  said  Edith,  "  so  far 
as  I  know  it.  I  was  passing  along  the  street  very 
quietly  when  a  voice  called  to  me : 

" '  O  Miss  Leete,  please  step  in ;  I  have  something  to 
show  you.' 

"  Not  knowing  but  I  could  be  of  service  to  some  one, 
and  never  for  a  moment  suspecting  harm  or  wrong,  I 
entered  the  door,  when  it  was  immediately  closed  and 
locked  behind  me.  Before  I  had  time  to  eoUect  my 
wits,  a  hand,  then  a  pad,  were  placed  upon  my  mouth. 
I  was  then  seated  in  a  large  chair  with  a  high  back. 
Thi-ee  women  in  masks  were  present,  and  one  man. 


198  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

One  of  the  women,  who  appeared  to  be  the  leader,  said 
to  me : 

"  '  If  you  are  quiet  and  do  not  struggle  you  will  not 
be  hurt.  We  shall  inflict  no  pain.  We  simjjly  have  a 
prei)aratiou  here  which  we  wish  to  try  upon  your  com- 
plexion. If  you  will  be  patient  and  give  us  no  trouble 
we  will  soon  be  through  with  the  experiment.' 

"  Witli  that  they  put  upon  my  face,  one  after  another, 
the  hori'ible  things  you  see,  taking  pains  in  transfer- 
ring them  to  impress  them  indelibly  upon  the  shin. 
When  they  were  done,  the  speaker  said : 

"  '  There,  you  are  a  beauty  now !  Mr.  West  will  be 
so  proud  of  you  you  will  scarcely  be  able  to  bear  his 
acbniration.  ^Vll  the  young  ladies  will  be  en^•ious  of 
the  attention  you  will  attract.  You  can  hold  your  head 
higher  than  ever  after  this,  and  break  all  the  gu-ls' 
hearts  by  stealing  their  beaux  from  them.  Just  look 
in  the  glass  and  see  how  greatly  we  have  improved 
yom'  good  looks.' 

"  And  she  held  up  a  glass  before  me.  I  do  not  know 
why  I  did  not  faint  or  try  to  scream.  But  I  did  not. 
I  kept  perfectly  quiet,  for  which  I  am  now  thankful. 
They  evidently  expected  a  scene,  and  were  disappointed. 
I  am  glad  that  this  i)art  of  their  wicked  plot  failed. 
They  were  masked  so  completely  I  did  not  know  them, 
nor  did  I  recognize  the  voices.  Only  one  spoke.  Be- 
fore releasing  me,  the  woman  said  : 

"  '■  You  can  rest  assured  these  additions  to  your  beauty 
will  never  wear  off  or  wash  out.  These  colors  have 
been  discovered  by  a  chemist,  who  warrants  them  to  be 
permanent  and  imperishable.' 

"As  soon  as  the  door  was  opened,  I  drew  the  veil 
over  my  face  and  came  home.  In  the  excitement  and 
hurry  of  the  moment  I  forgot  to  notice  the  house  or 


LOOKING   WITHIN.  199 

the  number,  and  am  by  no  means  certain  I  could  find 
tlie  place.  That  is  the  story  in  full.  I  have  tried  to 
wash  out  the  stains,  and  father  has  exhausted  his  skill 
in  efforts  to  remove  them.  But  the  horrible  things  re- 
main as  distinct  as  ever." 

Here  the  doctor  broke  in  : 

"  I  did  not  believe  that  Edith  had  an  enemy  in  the 
world.  I  know  she  merits  the  good- will  of  every  person 
in  Boston.  She  never  harmed  any  one,  but  has  been 
kind  to  aU.  I  cannot  imagine  the  wickedness  that  could 
perpetrate  such  an  outrage.  I  never  heard  or  read  of 
such  a  crime  before.  It  is  an  unthinkable  deed.  How 
could  any  one  be  depraved  enough  to  do  such  a  cruel 
act?" 

"And  in  this  age  of  perfection,  too,"  I  said,  with  a 
touch  of  sarcasm,  I  fear,  "  when  all  the  wants  of  men 
are  provided  for  by  a  beneficent  government !  " 

"  I  think  you  will  have  to  modify  your  statement  by 
restricting  it  to  the  physical  wants,"  said  Effie.  "  Evi- 
dently the  morals  of  the  people  are  sadly  out  of  repair." 

"When  persons  are  fed,  clothed,  and  housed,"  said 
the  doctor,  "  what  more  can  they  ask  ?  I  have  always 
believed  that  most  crimes  in  the  past  arose  from  either 
want  or  greed.  This  act  is  a  new  revelation  to  me.  I 
am  staggered  by  it.  My  confidence  in  humanity  has 
received  a  severe  shock,  and  my  faith  is  badly  shat- 
tered." 

At  this  junctm-e  Mr.  West  came  in.  He  was  not  at 
the  present  time  making  his  home  with  the  doctor,  but 
elsewhere.  Further  conversation  was  suspended  for 
the  time.  Edith  gave  a  sigh,  almost  a  groan,  as  he 
entered  the  door,  and  immediately  covered  her  face. 
She  was  almost  overcome  with  emotion,  and  struggled 
hard  to  master  her  feelings.     Mr.  West  was  amazed  at 


2U0  LUUKING    WITHIN, 

his  reception  and  what  he  saw\  He  looked  from  one  to 
another  for  an  explanation.  I  came  to  the  relief  of  the 
situation,  which  was  becoming  painful,  and  said  : 

"  JVliss  Leete  has  met  with  a  misfortune  which  prom- 
ises to  disfigiu'e  her  for  life.  She  cannot  endui'e  the 
thought  that  you  shall  see  her  face  as  it  now  is." 

"  Oh,  I  must,"  he  said  with  earnestness.  "  Nothing 
can  be  as  bad  as  not  to  be  permitted  to  see  her." 

"  But  if  you  never  can  see  her  again  as  Edith,  and 
only  as  a  horrible  spectiTcle,  what  then  ? " 

*'  She  is  still  Edith  to  me,  and  I  must  see  the  worst." 

"  O  Mr.  West,  I  cannot  bear  it !  "  said  Edith  in  a  tone 
l)ordering  on  anguish.     "Please  do  not  ask  it." 

"  Under  ordinary  circumstances  your  wish  is  my  law ; 
now  it  is  different.  Please  let  me  know  what  it  is.  Be 
assured,  it  will  make  no  difference  in  my  regard  for 
you." 

"  Oh,  but  I  know  it  will.  It  must.  I  am  no  longer 
the  woman  you  loved.  I  fully  and  freely  release  you 
from  all  obligation  to  me." 

"  And  I  will  not  be  released  for  the  causes  you  give. 
If  you  dislike  me  I  will  be  released,  not  otherwise." 

"  Oh,  nothing  of  that  kind  !  " 

"  Please  let  me  know  the  truth.  Suspense  is  worse 
than  reality." 

With  an  effort,  almost  beyond  liei'  strength  of  will 
Edith  removed  the  covering  from  her  face,  and  the 
frightful  pictures  in  all  their  ugliness,  revealed  by  the 
glare  of  the  electric  lights,  met  his  gaze.  He  had  braced 
himself  for  something  terrible,  but  was  not  prepared 
for  such  a  sight.  He  staggered  a  moment,  as  if  struck 
by  a  blow,  but  recovered  immediately.  Edith  was  quick 
to  notice  the  shock  he  experienced,  and  said : 

"  Now  that  you  have  seen  what  I  am,  and  can  never 


LOOKING   WITHIN.  201 

know  me  agaiu  as  Edith  Leete  of  old,  I  fully  release 
you  from  our  engagement.  I  cannot  find  it  in  my 
heart  to  blight  yoiu*  life  by  fastening  upon  it  such  a 
monster  as  I  now  am." 

"  I  still  love  you  as  Edith  Leete,  and  will  not  forsake 
you.  I  did  not  love  you  for  your  face  alone,  but  for 
yourself,  your  noble  and  incomparable  self.  You  are 
the  same,  if  your  face  is  not." 

''  But  my  face  is  a  part  of  me,  and  you  never  could 
appear  in  public  with  me ;  nor  could  I  go  with  you  and 
not  feel  ashamed  and  humiliated.  You  must  feel  the 
same.  I  cannot  exact  such  a  sacrifice  from  you.  It  is 
too  much." 

"  Not  if  I  choose  to  regard  it  as  other  than  a  sacrifice, 
and  desire  it." 

I  here  suggested  that  the  matter  rest  as  it  was  for  the 
present  and  permit  time  to  be  a  factor  in  its  final  dis- 
position. I  felt  that  Mr.  West  had  done  aU  that  could 
be  required  of  an  honorable  man,  and  that  both  he  and 
Edith  needed  time  for  calm  consideration  of  the  delicate 
subject.  I  saw,  too,  that  Edith  could  not  bear  the  strain 
much  longer.  My  suggestion  was  assented  to,  and  we 
all  left  for  the  night,  that  the  family  might  obtain 
needed  rest. 

"  Come  and  see  me  early  in  the  morning,"  said  Edith 
to  Effie  as  they  parted.     And  it  was  so  agreed. 

The  next  day  Effie  spent  for  the  most  part  with  her 
afflicted  friend.  Not  one  of  the  family  had  slept  a  wink 
during  the  previous  night ;  they  all  had  a  haggard  and 
worn  appearance.  So  had  Mr.  West,  who  called  to  see 
Edith.  I  took  a  walk  with  him.  He  was  true  and  manly, 
but  I  could  see  he  was  passing  through  a  trying  ordeal 
— a  fiery  furnace  of  tribulation.  It  was  plain  to  me 
that  relief  must  come  soon,  or  all  those  immediately  in- 


202  LOOKING  WITHIN, 

terested  aiul  iiivuh'cd  would  l)recik  down.  The  teusiou 
upon  both  mental  and  physical  endurance  was  too  great 
to  1)1'  prolonged  many  days,  or  even  hours. 

Edith  \vas  (puck  to  notice  Mr.  West's  ha<;gard  appear- 
ance, aiul  said  to  Effie  more  than  once,  she  coidd  not 
endure  the  thought  of  marrying  him,  nor  the  thought 
of  giving  liim  u]).  Death  appeared  to  her  to  he  the 
only  release  from  her  condition  of  soul-tortm"e  and 
heart-anguish.  The  doctor  aud  Mrs.  Leete  were  well- 
nigh  distracted.  Edith  was  all  the  world  to  them.  I 
said  to  them : 

''  Bear  u\^.  Relief  may  come  from  some  quarter." 
T  had  no  idea  at  the  time  where  any  relief  was  possible, 
l)ut  desired  to  comfort  if  I  could.     The  doctor  replied : 

"  I  ^voidd  freely  give  my  life  to  restore  Edith  to  her 
former  self ;  but  I  see  no  prospect,  no  hope.  I  have 
tried  every  chemical  preparation  known ;  others  have 
been  suggested  and  tried ;  but  nothing  avails.  Oh,  it 
is  hori'ible  to  think  of  a  life  so  good  as  hers  to  be 
wrecked  in  this  manner!  Not  a  ray  of  light  or  hope 
upon  all  the  dark  future!  How  can  she  endure  it? 
How  can  her  mothei-,  or  I,  or  Mr.  West  bear  up  under 
the  infliction  ? " 

As  a  siuii)le  spectator  and  synipathizing  friend  it 
was  moi'e  tlian  I  could  contemplate  without  a  pang. 
How  must  it  lie  to  them  ! 

That  night  I  dn^anied  of  the  Chemist  of  long  ago. 
In  the  di'eam  I  remembered  the  preparations  he  had 
given  me  for  removing  all  kinds  of  stains.  I  had  not 
thought  of  them  for  over  a  hundi'ed  years.  I  recalled 
the  little  case  in  my  valise  where  he  had  placed  them 
with  such  care — an  inner  pocket  or  apartment  made 
on  pin-pose,  which  I  had  never  opened.  I  awoke.  It 
was  a  dream ;  but  the  dream  brought  to  my  recoUec- 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  203 

tion  the  fact  so  long  forgotten.  That  little  arsenal 
of  chemicals  might  prove  to  be  worth  a  world  to  dear 
friends.  I  was  so  exercised  over  the  matter  I  could 
not  wait  for  morning,  l)iit  aroused  Efl&e  and  imparted 
to  her  the  possibly  g(jod  news.  She  became  more  in- 
terested and  excited  than  I  was.  With  the  early  light 
we  arose.  I  went  to  my  valise  to  examine  its  long- 
hidden  treasure. 

The  bottles  were  there  in  perfect  order,  hermetically 
sealed  and  labeled.  I  examined  them  one  after  an- 
other until  I  found  the  one  wliich  said :  ''To  remove 
stains  or  discolorations  from  the  human  skin,  from 
whatever  cause  produced." 

''This  is  what  I  want,"  I  said,  with  something  of 
exultation  and  excitement,  and  greatly  gratified.  Our 
knowledge  of  the  potency  of  the  Chemist's  preparations 
in  the  cases  where  we  had  tested  them  gave  us  great 
confidence  in  this  one.  There  was  so  much  at  stake, 
and  we  were  both  on  snch  a  high  key  of  excitement, 
that  even  the  possibility  of  failure  made  us  anxious 
and  nervous. 

We  went  early  in  the  morning  to  the  doctor's.  I 
exacted  a  promise  from  Effie  to  say  nothing  of  our 
hope  until  I  had  interviewed  the  doctor.  I  intended 
to  have  a  pledge  from  him  to  prosecute  the  per- 
petrators of  this  fiendish  work  if  detected  and  ar- 
rested. He  gave  the  pledge  at  first  with  energy; 
l)ut  when  asked  whether  he  would  prosecute  if  Edith 
sliould  be  fully  restored,  he  said  yes,  but  not  so  ear- 
nestly. I  knew  his  goodness  of  heart  and  disposition 
to  leniency,  and  so  fastened  the  obligation  strongly, 
for  the  public  good.  Tliis  done,  I  told  him  I  had  some 
hope  of  removing  the  stains  from  his  daughtei-'s  face, 
and  with  his  and  her  consent  would  try ;  but  that  he 


204  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

must  he  prepared  for  either  success  or  disappointment. 
I  saw  bow  eagei'ly  lie  caught  at  the  faintest  prospect 
of  relief. 

In  the  meantime  Eflfie  and  Edith  had  been  convers- 
ing. As  I  approached  the  door  between  the  two  rooms 
I  heard  Edith  say : 

"  Yes,  it  is  veiy  noble  of  Mr.  West  to  remain  true  to 
me  under  this  ordeal.  But  I  saw  it  went  to  his  heart. 
I  saw  the  involuntary  start,  the  sensitive  shiinking  as 
if  hurt  by  a  blow,  when  first  he  saw  my  misfortune. 
That  feeling  has  not  left  him.  I  honor  him  for  his 
manliness ;  but  nothing  can  induce  me  to  fasten  upon 
him  such  an  object  as  I  am.  He  ndght  endure  it.  He 
may  feel  that  honor  binds  him  to  this.  But  to  chain 
him  to  one  he  must  ever  dread  to  have  his  friends 
behold  is  more  than  I  can  endure,  even  if  he  is  willing 
to  become  a  martyr  for  my  sake." 

"  For  his  own  sake,  you  may  say,"  said  EfBe.  "  I  am 
sure  it  was  not  the  mere  charm  of  your  face  that  led  him 
to  love  you,  but  the  far  more  valuable  possession  of  a 
loving  heart  and  pure  soul.    These  remain  unchanged." 

"I  know  I  am  unchanged  excej^t  outwardly.  But 
the  casket,  in  this  case,  is  inseparable  from  the  jewels, 
if  I  have  any  jewels.  My  mind  is  made  up.  It  has 
cost  me  more,  I  ai:)prehend,  than  the  pains  of  a  dozen 
deaths.  The  bittei'uess  of  the  agony  is  i)ast,  unless 
Mr.  West  should  awaken  it  anew.  I  have  reached  a 
conclusion  I  believe  to  be  right,  and  shall  abide  by  it." 

"If  it  blights  Mr.  West's  life?" 

"  Oh,  don't !  Don't  say  that !  I  can  bear  any  pain 
but  that !     If  he  suffers  as  I  do !     How " 

At  this  moment  Mr.  West  was  announced.  He  stiU 
looked  haggard  and  worn.  Evidently  he  had  passed 
a  sleepless  night ;  but  he  was  calm,  and  declared  his 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  205 

readiness  and  full  determination  to  carry  out  his  en- 
gagement with  Edith.  This  deeply  moved  her.  Before 
she  told  him  her  own  piu-pose  and  final  determination 
I  said  to  him  : 

''  You  have  proved  yoiu\self  a  man  of  honor,  a  true 
nobleman.  You  have  fulfilled  our  highest  expecta- 
tions. But  will  you  now  please  retire  and  return 
again  iu  two  hours?  I  have  the  best  of  reasons  for 
making  this  request,  which  you  shall  know  upon  your 
return." 

He  seemed  reluctant  to  go ;  yet  after  loving  words 
to  Edith  he  departed.     Edith  was  visibly  affected. 

Effle  had  said  nothing  to  her  friend  about  the  main 
purpose  of  our  visit.  I  now  called  the  family  together, 
and  said : 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  awaken  any  hope  that  may  not  be 
realized;  but  I  think  I  have  a  preparation  here  that 
will  remove  this  l^lotch  from  Edith's  face.  With  the 
assurance  that  it  will  do  no  harm,  with  youi'  consent  I 
wish  to  try  it." 

As  nothing  coidd  make  matters  worse,  and  as  the 
faintest  hope  was  welcome,  an  instant  and  glad  con- 
sent was  given.  As  the  parents  were  not  in  a  condi- 
tion to  bear  the  tension  of  suspense  dimng  the  test, 
they  were  induced  to  retii'e  and  rest  in  the  other  room. 

With  Effie's  assistance  I  immediately  proceeded  to 
apply  the  fluid.  A  chemically  prepared  brush  of  the 
softest  material  accompanied  the  bottle ;  full  directions 
were  plainly  given.  The  first  application  did  not  pro- 
duce discernible  effect.  I  could  see,  however,  that  it 
was  doing  work.  Effie  looked  disappointed.  The  tell- 
tale shadow  on  her  speaking  face  took  some  of  the 
faint  light  of  hope  from  Edith's  eyes.  I  glanced  cheer- 
ily at  Effie  and  she  ]>riglitened  up. 


206  LOOKING  AMTHIN. 

I  made  but  a  few  passes  with  the  second  application 
when  success  became  assuivd.  I  sig:nak'd  to  Effie  to 
keep  quiet.  As  I  proceeded  silently,  taking  care  to  do 
thorough  work,  the  stains  disappeared.  In  half  an 
hour  the  last  trace  of  the  deformity  was  gone.  Edith 
was  herseK,  more  fresh  and  beautifid  than  before.  I 
took  a  looking-glass  which  I  had  purposely  provided, 
and  holding  it  before  her  face  asked  : 

"  Can  you  see  any  improvement,  Miss  Leete?" 

She  looked  in  the  mirror,  gave  one  "  Oh  !  "  and  sank 
back  exhausted  l)y  the  reaction.  In  a  moment  she 
sprang  up,  threw  her  arms  around  Effie  and  kissed  her 
again  and  again.  Then,  as  Mrs.  Leete,  attracted  by 
the  slight  noise,  entered  the  room,  Edith  fell  upon  her 
bosom  and  wept  for  joy.  The  doctor  threw  his  arms 
around  them  both.  If  on  earth  tliere  was  excess  of 
joy,  it  was  in  that  room.  It  was  gladness  which  could 
not  be  expressed.  Presently  the  doctor  held  Edith  at 
arm's-length,  and  gazing  in  her  face  with  a  thrill  of 
delight  and  parental  pride,  said  : 

'*I  declare,  daughter,  you  are  more  beautifid  than 
ever ! " 

And  now  Mr.  West  retm-ned.  I  took  him  by  the 
hand  and  led  him  to  Edith,  who  was  then  facing  her 
father,  with  her  back  to  us.  I  touched  her  on  the 
shoulder.     As  she  tm'ued  around  I  said : 

"  Miss  Leete,  Mr.  West." 

He  was  fau*ly  startled  and  stunned  for  a  second. 
Then,  with  an  overmastering  impidse,  he  placed  his 
arms  around  her  and,  pressing  her  to  his  heart,  im- 
printed a  lovei''s  ardent  kiss  upon  her  lips.  He  then 
apologized,  but  was  assured  no  apology  was  required. 
The  reader  can  imagine  the  gladness  of  that  company — 
perhaps.   The  doctor  said  he  was  so  thankful  and  happy 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  207 

he  believed  lie  coiild  forgive  the  devil  for  his  wicked- 
ness. But  I  held  him  to  his  promise  to  prosecute  the 
miscreants  who  had  been  guilty  of  this  satauic  crime. 
They  were  detected  by  means  of  the  memorandum  I 
had  made  on  hearing  the  fragment  of  conversation 
between  the  two  women,  as  previously  narrated.  With 
this  clue  Mr.  Hume  soon  had  the  guilty  parties  ar- 
rested. 

It  developed  on  the  trial,  as  Mr.  Hume  had  sug- 
gested, that  the  crime  was  instigated  by  jealousy  and 
malice.  A  man  by  the  name  of  Jackson,  an  unsuccess- 
ful aspirant  for  Miss  Leete's  hand,  had  assisted  the 
three  women  in  the  infamous  scheme.  He  furnished 
the  designs  which  were  used,  and  procured  the  chem- 
ical stains  from  a  noted  chemist,  who  was  entirely 
ignorant  of  the  base  use  to  which  his  skill  had  been 
prostituted.  It  was  also  sho^vn  that  no  known  sub- 
stance would  remove  the  stains  when  once  made.  So 
the  skill  of  my  old  friend  the  Chemist  became  the 
wonder  and  admiration  of  Boston ;  for  this  trial  was 
the  most  noted  that  had  ever  taken  place  shice  the 
inauguration  of  the  paternal  government.  The  crune 
itself  was  so  revolting,  the  motive  so  dastardly,  the  act 
itself  so  inhuman,  the  whole  population  was  moved. 
It  was  something  to  arouse  a  community  rendered  al- 
most lifeless  from  lack  of  energy.  The  culprits  were 
convicted,  fined,  and  imprisoned. 

At  the  expiration  of  half  the  term  of  imprisonment 
the  doctor  and  Edith  Leete  \^dtli  others  joined  in  a 
petition  for  the  pardon  of  the  culprits.  They  were 
released  from  pi-ison ;  l^ut  the  mark  of  their  crime, 
like  that  of  Cain,  could  never  be  effaced. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

After  making  further  observations,  extending 
through  all  classes  of  people  and  occupations,  I  was 
enabled  to  reach  conclusions  on  a  rational  basis. 

Mr.  Acre  was  sometimes  a  little  radical  and  severe 
in  his  mode  of  expression ;  but  he  was  right.  He  did 
not  exaggerate.  The  truth  fully  sustained  all  his  con- 
clusions. The  cities  served  no  good  pmpose  in  the 
economy  of  paternalism  except  as  homes  for  pension- 
ers. They  were  not  needed  as  centers  of  business, 
manufacture,  or  commerce.  IVIr.  Acre's  view  that  they 
should  be  used  for  housing  the  pensioned  population 
was  sensible  and  in  the  line  of  true  economy.  It  was 
clear  that  the  tendency  to  congregate  in  the  cities  on 
the  part  of  those  who  owed  ser\ice  must  be  checked. 
To  attain  this  end  the  privilege  of  choosing  an  occupa- 
tion would  have  to  be  cm-tailed  or  aboKshed.  Com- 
pulsoiy  employment  where  labor  was  required  was  the 
only  remedy.  This  was  manifest  by  the  obvious  di'ift 
of  things.  As  yet 'I  did  not  know  the  imminence  of 
the  crisis.  The  sm'face  was  still  calm  and  to  a  large 
degree  unruffled.  Men  and  women  went  carelessly 
and  indifferently  about  their  avocations,  unconcerned 
whether  it  was  storm  or  sunshine. 

The  indidgent  and  idle  life  in  the  cities  fostered  self- 
ishness and  dissipation.  Augmentation  of  population 
in  gi-eat  centers  increased  crime.     New  avenues  for 


LOOKING  WITHIN,  209 

open,  and  especially  for  illicit,  lawlessness  were  devel- 
oped. "Secret  sins"  were  rapidly  on  the  increase. 
The  tendencies  to  fraud  multiplied.  Stealing  both 
food  and  clothing  from  the  depositories  of  the  gov- 
ernment began  about  this  time  to  be  carried  on  to 
an  alarming  extent.  Heretofore  thefts  had  only  been 
of  occasional  occurrence ;  now  they  grew  so  common 
that  guards  had  to  be  employed  in  large  numbers  to 
protect  the  property  in  store.  This  was  the  legitimate 
outcome  of  congregating  masses  of  evil-disposed  per- 
sons in  city  limits,  where  the  force  of  numbers  became 
a  fruitful  promoter  of  misdoing.  The  comparative 
impunity  with  which  crimes  and  misdemeanors  could 
be  perpetrated  stimulated  wrong-doers  in  the  way  of 
transgressiou.  As  Mr.  Acre  expressed  it,  the  cities 
were  rapidly  becoming  Sodomized.  Murders  and  sui- 
cides greatly  increased.  "Women  were  sometimes  as- 
sailed in  the  streets.  Virtue  was  no  longer  its  own 
protector.     Vice  was  aggi'essive. 

The  sense  of  injustice  toward  the  rural  popula- 
tion, who  performed  all  the  useful  and  productive 
labor,  while  the  denizens  of  the  cities  enjoyed  all  the 
ease  and  comfort,  grew  apace.  The  magnificence  and 
pride  of  the  cities  conti-asted  with  their  privations, 
hardships,  and  obscurity  caused  a  feeling  of  indigna- 
tion and  discouragement.  Such  manifest  inequality 
could  not  long  be  endured  without  redress  or  revolt. 
Evidently  there  must  be  a  radical  modification  of  the 
present  order  of  thiugs,  or  there  would  be  revolution. 
I  had  no  means  of  knowing  how  the  government 
viewed  the  situation,  nor  what  measures  of  relief  it 
proposed,  if  any.  That  something  must  be  done,  could 
be  felt  in  the  aii*.  I  learned  more  in  time,  as  will  be 
seen  further  on. 


210  LOOKIXii    WJTinX. 

Laborers  could  he  o^radcd  as  follows : 

1.  Sailors,  miners,  and  others  employed  where  ex- 
plosives, chemical  products,  etc.,  were  handled.  Haz- 
ardous callings. 

2.  Farmers  exposed  to  storms  and  inclement  weather. 

3.  Laborers  under  shelter,  manufacturers,  mechan- 
ics, artisans. 

Mr.  Acre's  paupers  constituted  a  fourth  class,  but, 
})eino:  consumers  and  not  producers,  could  scarcely  be 
dig'uified  as  laborers  in  any  legitimate  sense.  The  rest 
of  the  population  were  pensioner's. 

What  could  be  done  to  equalize  this  unequal  distri- 
bution of  the  burdens  of  labor  ?  What  compensation 
could  be  provided  for  the  extra-hazardous  departments 
of  employment?  These  questions  must  be  met  and 
answered. 

In  the  nineteenth  century,  and  in  all  ages  before 
paternalism  was  established,  there  was  perhaps  as  great 
diversity  of  labor,  and  as  much  hazard  as  now.  There 
was,  also,  as  much  to  complain  of  in  hardships,  per- 
haps moi'e  in  privations.  But  action  then  was  the 
result  of  individual  volition.  Men  enjoyed  the  fruits 
of  their  own  efforts.  If  exposed,  there  was  with  the 
exposure  a  constant  and  cheering  hope  of  gain — of 
personal  benefit.  Results  commensui-ate  with  the  ex- 
ertion and  labor  were  confidently  expected.  Inequah- 
ties  then  were  incidents  connected  with  liberty  of 
action ;  now  they  were  crystallized  into  law  and  cus- 
tom, iron-bound  and  arbitrary.  Toil  and  exposure 
bring  with  them  no  hope  of  personal  advantage.  Do 
as  he  may,  the  individiuil  cannot  better  his  condition. 
He  can  expect  nothing  in  the  future.  His  life  stretches 
away  along  the  dull  sands  of  a  desert  plain,  without 
even  an  oasis  to  cheer  the  desolate  waste. 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  211 

Formerly  thrift,  industry,  and  economy  brought  their 
rewards ;  now  there  was  no  real  demand  for  any  of 
these  qualities.  The  indolent,  slothful,  and  careless 
fared  as  well  as  the  most  punctual  and  painstaking. 
This  is,  practically,  offering  a  premium  for  laziness. 
The  conscientious  toiler  gets  nothing  for  his  faithful- 
ness; the  sloth  loses  nothing  by  his  delinquencies. 
Such  a  system  of  fossilized  injustice  and  inequality 
must  break  down  of  its  own  inherent  weakness. 
There  can  be  no  lasting  cohesion  where  the  moral 
sense  is  constantly  outraged,  where  justice  is  un- 
known, and  where  the  temptation  to  be  dishonest  is 
ever  present.  The  question  will  constantly  recur,  even 
to  an  honest  man :  ''  Why  should  I  be  true  when  it 
avails  me  nothing?"  When  the  wrong-doer  shares 
equally  as  well  as  the  right-doer,  how  long  will  the 
latter  continue  faithful?  Such  a  system  is  sure  to 
develop  rogues.  It  cannot  produce  men  and  women 
of  highly  developed  mental,  moral,  and  spiritual  pow- 
ers. If  such  are  found,  it  is  in  spite  of  their  environ- 
ments. 

All  the  qualities  of  human  nature  remain  as  of  old. 
There  is  no  improvement.  Passions  are  just  as  strong ; 
ambitions  are  just  as  grasping;  popularity  is  craved 
as  gi'catly  as  ever;  the  "master-passion"  still  rules  the 
human  heart.  Nothing  is  changed  but  law  and  cus- 
toms. Idleness  and  incHnation  promote  vice  and 
crime.  People  are  good  now  because  they  resist 
temptation,  as  has  always  been  true.  My  observation 
leads  to  the  unmistakable  conclusion  that  two  persons 
use  their  spare  time  for  evil  purposes,  to  where  one 
uses  it  for  self-improvement  or  the  general  welfare. 
Two  thirds  of  each  twenty-foui*  hours  being  at  the 
disposal  of  all  persons  up  to  forty-five  j^ears  of  age. 


212  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

and  after  that  all  time,  it  will  l)e  readily  seen  tliat  the 
opportunities  for  mischief  are  abundant  and  only  the 
inclination  is  neeessarj'  to  constitute  of  the  people 
so  disposed  a  race  of  criminals.  That  the  evil  tenden- 
cies are  multiplying  is  evident.  That  any  check  to 
these  tendencies  is  availahle  does  not  appear.  All  the 
appearances,  at  first  view  so  attractive,  are  misleading. 
Beneath  the  surface  there  is  no  ''beauty  that  men 
should  desire  it." 

Discontent  cropped  out  everywhere,  unless  it  was 
among  the  dissolute  and  shiftless.  These  had  nothing 
to  gain  by  change,  and  were  indifPerent. 

I  was  amused  as  well  as  astonished  at  one  phase  of 
the  "woman  question."  Mr.  Hume,  as  already  stated, 
had  secured  telephonic  communication  with  every  hall 
or  other  place  of  meeting  of  public  or  secret  societies 
or  assemblies.  One  of  these  is  termed  "The  Ladies' 
Secret  C'irele."  None  but  the  initiated  are  admitted. 
Its  membership  is  composed  almost  exclusively  of 
women  who  are  disaffected,  disappointed,  or  in  some 
manner  out  of  harmony  mth  existing  conditions,  or 
sour  because  of  failure  in  their  desires  or  ambitions 
— what  in  the  nineteenth  century  would  have  secured 
the  appellation  of  grumblers.  One  of  these  meetings 
was  in  progi'ess  while  I  was  at  Mr.  Hume's  office.  He 
sat  me  down  at  the  telephone  to  listen.  1  should  have 
said  that  the  connection  was  secured  by  Mr.  Hume  to 
aU  places  of  secret  resort  without  the  knowledge  of 
the  members  of  the  societies  or  secret  conclaves; 
hence  they  talked  freely  among  themselves  imder 
cover  and  pledge  of  secrecy.  Almost  the  fii'st  thing  I 
heard  was  this : 

"  Every  large  woman  has  a  right  to  complain  of  the 
action  of  the  government.    It  requires  a  larger  amount 


Looking  within.  213 

of  goods  of  any  kind  to  suitably  clothe  a  large  lady 
thau  it  does  a  small  one ;  yet  a  little  woman  receives 
just  as  much  goods  or  scrip  in  payment  for  time  as  a 
large  one.  The  small  woman  can  make  herself  look 
more  becoming  than  a  large  one  because  she  can  de- 
vote more  goods  to  drapery  and  ornament  and  yet 
have  plenty  for  the  main  portion  of  her  dress.  Large 
women  as  a  rule  require  more  care  in  dress  to  make  a 
good  and  pleasing  appearance  than  small  ones.  They 
are  more  conspicuous  because  of  size,  and  so  defects 
are  more  readily  observed.  The  little  woman  there- 
fore has  the  advantage  to  begin  with,  and  can  keep 
and  enhance  it  all  the  way  through ;  make  herself 
more  attractive,  and  so  win  greater  attention  and  suc- 
cess. This  is  all  wrong,  and  it  is  a  wrong  that  should 
be  speedily  righted." 

"How  can  you  right  it"?"  inquired  another  lady, 
probably  a  smaller  one.  "  If  the  little  woman  does  as 
much  work  as  the  large  one,  and  does  it  as  well,  she  is 
siu'ely  entitled  to  the  same  pay.  It  is  the  one's  mis- 
fortune that  she  is  large,  the  other's  good  fortune  that 
she  is  small.  I  do  not  see  how  you  can  remedy  this, 
or  where  you  will  draw  the  line." 

"Line  or  no  hue,  I  am  in  favor  of  doing  justice  to 
the  large  woman.  Somehow  the  men  nearly  always 
run  after  the  little  women,  and  the  large  ones  do  not 
have  a  fair  show.  Then,  giving  the  smaU  ones  the 
advantage  in  dress  is  adding  insult  to  injiuy." 

"And  what  are  you  going  to  do  about  it"?  What 
remedy  do  you  propose  ? " 

"  We  are  told  the  theory  of  our  government  is  that 
every  man  and  Avoman  is  entitled  to  a  hving  because 
they  are  men  and  women.  Now,  I  wish  to  know,  on 
the  same  principle,  why  a  large  woman  is  not  entitled 


214  LOOKING    WITHIN. 

to  large  pay  because  she  is  a  large  woman?  Can  you 
say  she  is  not  ? " 

"  If  you  are  going  to  divide  up  on  any  such  basis  as 
that,  then  the  person  who  has  a  voracious  a})petite 
must  be  paid  more  than  the  one  who  eats  less.  IIow 
will  that  workr' 

"Appetite  is  a  matter  of  habit  and  indulgence  and 
may  l)e  modified.  But  one  cannot  help  growing,  how- 
ever she  may  desu'e  to  stop  the  process.  This  natural 
and  unavoidable  result  should  be  provided  lor,  the 
same  as  any  other  phase  of  personality  requiring  spe- 
cial attention.  If  a  pei'son  is  a  cripple,  or  diseased,  or 
otherwise  rendered  helpless,  such  person,  male  or  fe- 
male, is  pro\-ided  for  by  the  government.  So  the  mis- 
fortune of  being  large  shoidd  be  met  l)y  corresponding 
aid  on  the  part  of  the  government." 

"  At  what  point  will  you  draw  the  line  between  the 
large  and  the  small  women  ? " 

"  It  should  be  fixed  at  a  point  midway  between  the 
largest  and  the  smallest,  and  then  have  a  gi-aduated 
scale  for  sizes  ascending  and  descending." 

"  A  woman,  then,  you  think  should  be  rated  by  her 
avoirdupois  ? " 

"Not  exactly;  for  some  women  are  solider  than 
others  and  will  weigh  more  to  the  same  bulk.  Height 
and  bust  measure  would  probably  be  the  most  accurate 
method  of  reaching  the  true  standard  of  mensurement." 

"What  will  the  little  women  say  to  this!" 

"  Let  them  say  what  they  please.  What  is  right  is 
right,  and  should  be  done." 

"  But  the  question  of  right  i§  the  very  one  involved, 
and  seems  to  favor  the  snuill  woman  in  this  matter, 
according  to  my  ideas  of  justice  and  right.  And  what 
of  the  large  men  ? " 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  2l5 

"  Oh,  the  government  charges  so  much  for  a  suit  of 
clothes  for  a  gentleman,  whether  large  or  small,  and 
there  is  no  difference.  It  is  not  so  with  women.  They 
pay  according  to  the  number  of  yards  pm'chased,  and 
so  the  large  woman  is  at  a  disadvantage." 

"  Suppose  we  adopt  the  plan  of  the  gentlemen,  and 
purchase  by  the  suit  instead  of  by  the  yard." 

"That  would  not  work  with  ladies.  They  have  to 
suit  complexion,  figure,  shape,  and  numberless  small 
appendages  and  peculiarities  which  could  not  be  met 
by  a  general  order  for  a  suit.     You  know  how  that  is." 

I  was  so  greatly  amused  at  these,  to  me  new  and 
decidedly  novel  ideas,  that  I  could  not  refi-ain  from 
laughing  outright.  The  telephone  carried  the  laugh 
into  the  room  where  the  ladies  were,  and  a  sudden 
stillness  followed,  after  the  one  exclamation  of  inquiiy : 

"Who  is  that  laughing?" 

Mr.  Hume  muffled  the  instrument  quickly,  and  said  : 

"  I  should  have  cautioned  you  not  to  make  any  noise 
that  the  telephone  will  carry  back.  I  do  not  wish 
them  to  know  I  have  connection  with  their  room  and 
so  become  advised  of  all  they  do.  You  will  readily 
understand  the  situation." 

u  J  I'egret  my  indiscretion.  I  ought  to  have  known 
better.  But  the  affair  struck  me  in  such  a  ridiculous 
light,  the  laugh  came,  like  the  boy's  whistle,  of  itself," 
I  replied. 

"  No  harm  will  result.  In  a  few  minutes,  when  they 
become  satisfied  no  one  is  listening,  they  will  proceed 
with  the  discussion  of  some  fad  or  hobby,  of  which 
they  have  many.  I  frequently  pass  an  hour  hstening 
to  their  vaporings.  I  do  this  for  information,  not 
from  curiosity.  The  discussions  in  the  secret  societies 
give  a  very  good  idea  of  the  restlessness,  disquietude, 


21G  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

uiid  discontent  wliicli  lie  beneath  the  surface  of  things. 
The  huly  whom  you  heard  just  now  i)i-()])().sing  what 
appeared  to  you  as  a  great  ahsurdity  is  not  wliat  the 
world  designates  a  crank.  She  moves  in  good  society 
and  is  well  respected.  She  would  scarcely  talk  in  public 
as  she  does  in  the  secret  circle.  There  are  tlK^se,  how- 
ever, who  do  openly  advocate  the  views  she  has  set  forth, 
and  she  pr()bal)ly  furnishes  them  with  argiinu'uts  and 
suggestions  quietly.  She  is  a  lady  of  some  ability  and 
intelligence.  There  are  other  propositions  equally  as 
humorous  and  alisurd  as  this  one,  from  our  standpoint  of 
view,  which  are  advocated  by  those  who  favor  changes 
and  amendments  of  our  policy.  I  fancy  the  turmoil  of 
the  nineteenth  century  is  in  a  fair  way  to  be  repeated 
in  the  near  future.  The  under-currents  are  gTOwing 
stronger  and  more  outspoken.  They  will  soon  come 
to  the  surface,  if  I  mistake  not,  and  will  produce  an 
upheaval." 

"  Surely  there  cannot  be  much  like  that  to  which  I 
have  been  listening,"  I  said  with  surprise. 

"  There  is  any  amount  of  it — some  not  so  much  out 
of  the  way  as  we  think,  while  there  is  plenty  of  it 
more  foolish  and  unreasonable  than  anything  you 
have  yet  been  introduced  to  or  become  acquainted 
with.  Men  and  women  with  active  minds  and  plenty 
of  unoccupied  time  conceive  wonderful  things." 

"What  shape  will  change  or  changes  take,  think 
you,  if  they  come  ? "  I  asked. 

"  I  am  not  certain.  The  number  of  changes  men- 
tioned are  numerous,  but  in  some  cases  are  favored  by 
only  a  small  number.  Mr.  Acre  foreshadowed  one 
that  is  at  least  probable — a  change  in  the  homes  of 
the  population,  especially  of  the  cities  and  towns." 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

On  tlie  following  Sabbath  Mr.  Hume  invited  us  to 
Ms  office  to  hear  a  discourse  by  one  of  the  most  noted 
ministers  of  Boston.  The  church  was  filled  with  j^eo- 
ple  from  the  country  and  from  distant  parts  of  the 
city,  so  we  listened  in  comfort  and  quiet  by  telephone. 
When  seated  and  composed,  Mr.  Hume  said : 

"■  Mr.  Barton  is  an  opthnist  of  the  advanced  type ; 
he  is  even  a  zealous  enthusiast.  You  have  heard  him 
at  the  residence  of  Dr.  Leete.  He  is  the  doctor's  favor- 
ite. The  two  look  at  things  in  much  the  same  light. 
The  present  to  them  is  all  beautiful,  the  past  dark  and 
forbidding.  You  know  in  what  rainbow  colorings  Mr. 
Barton  paints  the  present,  and  how  darkly  he  contrasts 
the  past  with  it.  With  him  the  past  is  an  abyss  of 
gloom,  the  jjresent  all  aglow  with  the  sunlight  of  hope, 
joy,  and  peace.  To-day  you  will  listen  to  a  philosopher 
as  well  as  a  preacher — a  man  who  neither  longs  for  the 
past  nor  worships  the  present,  Ijut  tries  to  take  a  candid 
view  of  both  past  and  present  with  the  probable  results 
of  these  upon  the  future.  But  as  you  will  hear  him  for 
yourselves  I  need  say  no  more. 

"  One  thing,  however,  I  ought  to  name.  Dr.  Butler 
is  thoroughly  posted.  He  will  in  all  probability  say  or 
refer  to  matters  which  have  been  discussed  between  you 
and  Mr.  Acre  and  myself.  It  may  seem  to  you  like 
repetition;  but  you  must  bear  in  mind  that  ninety- 
nine  out  of  every  one  hundred  of  his  audience  are  as 

217 


218  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

totally  ignorant  of  many  of  these  things  as  you  were, 
and  that  to  them  it  will  be  a  startling  surprise.  Place 
yourselves  in  the  position  of  these  ninety-nine,  vrith  a 
realization  of  how  they  feel  now,  and  what  effect  the 
words  of  the  speaker  will  have  upon  them,  and  you 
will  be  prepared  as  you  otherwise  eould  not  be  to  enjoy 
and  appreciate  the  sermon." 

The  horn*  for  sei-\'ices  to  commence  had  now  arrived. 
With  close  attention  we  coidd  hear  a  whisper  in  the 
church  or  the  rustle  of  a  garment,  so  perfect  was  the 
instrument  at  which  we  listened.  The  singing  was 
excellent,  unexcelled  in  sweetness  and  harmony. 

Dr.  Butler  took  his  text  from  Matt.  IG :  3,  latter 
clause  of  the  verse :  "  Can  ye  not  discern  the  signs  of 
the  times  ? "     He  then  proceeded  as  follows : 

"  I  have  been  requested  to  preach  by  a  lai-ge  number 
of  my  congregation  and  fellow-citizens  on  a  theme 
which  these  words  will  indicate.  There  appears  to  be  a 
desire  for  information  on  subjects  of  which  our  people 
are  largely  in  ignorance,  but  upon  which  they  ought  to 
be  well  instructed. 

"Our  present  civilization  has  been  on  trial  for  a 
period  of  nearly  two  ordinary  generations.  Its  real 
merits  and  demerits  ought  to  l)e  manifest.  While  the 
place  and  the  occasion  demand  that  the  body  of  this 
discourse  should  be  ^jrincipally  confined  to  the  social, 
moral,  and  religious  aspects  of  the  times,  yet  some  facts 
are  necessaiy  to  be  understood  before  we  can  profitably 
discuss  these  important  features  of  the  theme.  All 
matters  calculated  to  better  the  condition  of  men  are 
appropriate  to  this  place  and  to  the  sphere  of  an  '  am- 
bassador of  Christ.' 

"  Thei'e  are  two  questions  fraught  with  weighty  con- 
siderations bearing  upon  tlie  welfare  of  the  race. 


LOOKING   WITHIN.  219 

''  First,  Was  the  past  a  failure  ? 

"  Second,  Is  the  present  a  real  success  ? 

*'  Or  possibly  a  more  explicit  statement  of  the  propo- 
sitions would  be :  How  far  was  the  past  a  failure  ? 
How  much  does  the  present  fail  of  success  ?  As  the 
past  is  not  ours  to  manipulate  or  improve,  and  we  can 
only  draw  lessons  fi'om  it,  I  shall  dismiss  this  branch 
of  the  subject  with  brief  remarks. 

"  No  man  who  reads  history  aright  will  claim  that 
the  past  was  a  failure.  In  man}^  respects  it  was  a 
magnificent  success.  Confining  attention  to  our  own 
race  of  people,  it  brought  them  from  the  debasement 
of  idol- worshipers  and  cannibalism  to  the  highest  j^oint 
of  civilization  and  Christianity,  yet  attained  by  men. 
Indeed,  there  is  nothing  we  enjoy  now  worthy  of  us 
that  we  are  not  indel)ted  to  our  fathers  and  mothers 
for.  To  call  the  brilliant  achievements  of  the  nineteen 
hundred  years  of  progress  a  failure  is  to  trifle  with  facts. 
And  when  nearly  all  this  wonderful  development  was 
made  in  the  three  centuries  preceding  our  own,  includ- 
ing its  beginning,  the  admiration  of  our  predecessors 
becomes  the  greater.  I  am  proud  of  my  ancestry.  I 
glory  in  their  matchless  conquests  in  all  directions, 
which  lift  men  up  into  higher  and  nobler  spheres  of 
thought,  action,  life,  and  morals.  From  serfs  and 
slaves  they  became  men — men,  too,  crowned  as  kings 
and  queens  who  took  their  destiny  into  their  own  hands, 
bade  adieu  to  old  forms  and  tyrannies,  and  opened  the 
way  for  the  fall  and  final  triumph  of  that  ideal  perfec- 
tion of  human  desire,  'Liberty,  equality,  fraternity.' 
On  the  side  of  morality  they  arose  from  abject  and 
besotted  barbarism  to  the  grandest  type  of  Christian 
excellence  yet  developed  by  mankind. 

"  These  results  were  not  achieved  by  the  present  gen- 


220  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

eration  or  its  immediate  predecessor.    They  came  to  us 

as  a  heritage.  From  that  past  so  often  derided  came 
all  our  best  gifts  and  loftiest  aspirations.  I  proclaim 
it  here  and  now,  that  we  do  not  possess  a  single  blessing 
of  real  value  and  worthy  to  be  perpetuated  for  which 
"w^e  are  not  indebted  to  the  past.  We  liave  originated 
nothing  new  that  tends  to  the  elevation  of  our  race. 
I  am  j)roud  of  our  sires.  I  thank  God  it  is  their  blood 
that  courses  in  my  veins  and  pulsates  my  heart.  All 
honor  to  the  fathers  and  mothers  of  the  centuries  of 
progress  which  illumine  the  past  and  gild  the  futiu'c 
with  the  promise  of  coming  grandeur  and  glory ! 

"What  of  the  present?  'Watchmen,  what  of  the 
night  ? '  Is  it  still  night  ?  Or  is  this  the  day,  the  dawn 
of  the  millennial  reign  of  'peace  on  earth,  good- will 
toward  men '  ?  Let  us  cai'ef ully  examine  the  gi'ound 
u})on  which  we  stand.  What  is  that  ground!  What 
do  we  really  possess  ?  What  have  we  gained  f  Stripped 
of  all  glamour  and  tinsel,  we  have  just  three  things 
secured  to  us  as  the  whole  of  our  political  heritage. 
They  are  these:  food^  cloth  nig,  and  houses.  N'othing 
else.  It  is  indeed  cheering  to  contemplate  the  fact  that 
no  one  is  naked  or  hungry  or  shelterless,  except  by  rea- 
son of  crime.  So  far  as  the  government  is  concerned, 
these  are  suppUed.  It  is  a  pleasing  and  blessed  thought 
that  actual  physical  want  is  banished  from  the  land,  so 
far  as  it  is  possible  for  a  paternal  government  to  do 
this.  That  there  is  terrible  want,  suffering,  and  distress 
all  over  the  country,  and  especially  in  the  cities,  is  not 
the  fault  of  the  government  but  the  result  of  indi\ddual 
depravity,  which  has  not  been  cured  or  even  weakened 
by  our  system.  No  one  should  lightly  esteem  these 
benefits  and  privileges.  But  at  what  price  have  we 
secured  them  ?     Have  they  cost  too  much  f     If  we  have 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  221 

paid  too  much  for  them,  vahiable  as  they  are,  we  lose 
by  the  exchange.  Let  us  inquire  into  tlie  matter.  Have 
we  *  paid  too  dear  for  our  whistle '  1  We  have  bartered 
for  these  things : 

"1.  All  manly  independence. 

"2.  All  real  control  of  ourselves  until  forty-five  years 
of  age. 

"  3.   We  have  become  slaves. 

''  Are  you  startled  ?  Listen  !  Can  you  dispose  of 
yourselves,  your  time,  laljor,  anything,  except  as  the 
government  directs  ?  Can  you  secure  a  morsel  of  food, 
a  scrap  of  clothing,  or  a  house  to  shelter  you  except  as 
you  get  them  from  the  government  ?  Not  unless  you 
steal  them. 

"  Then  you  are  not  your  own.  What  you  eat,  wear, 
and  use  are  not  yours.  Your  children  are  not  yours. 
They  with  you  belong  to  the  government.  In  a  word, 
our  boasted  civilization  is  simply  a  vast  system  of  liunum 
slavery.  It  has  been  compared  to  the  discipline  of  an 
army.  The  comparison  is  apt.  No  bondage  is  more 
cruel,  no  slavery  more  abject,  than  that  of  a  soldier  in 
an  army.  He  is  bound  to  obey  orders  even  unto  death. 
And  in  time  of  war  disobedience  is  death.  He  has  no 
choice,  there  is  no  escape.  He  is  bound  by  his  oath,  and 
the  discipline  of  the  service,  to  obey  and  not  question. 
Are  we  not  similarly  situated  and  bound  ? 

''  It  matters  not  that  the  fetters  have  thus  far  been 
silken  cords,  and  so  soft  we  have  scarcely  felt  them. 
When  the  iron  fi'ets  us,  as  it  wiU,  and  gaUs  and  chafes, 
we  shall  realize  our  condition  as  we  never  yet  have  done. 

"Wliat  else  have  we  lost?  All  the  advantages  of 
emulation,  skill,  personal  enterprise,  incentives  to  action 
in  all  du'ections,  including  invention  and  authorship. 
Who  can  estimate  this  loss?     Wlio  can  measure  the 


222  LOOKING  ^VITHIN. 

price  we  have  paid  for  our  present  position,  not  of  at- 
tainment but  of  sacrifice  ? 

•'Our  machinery  remains  unimproved;  we  have  it 
just  as  we  received  it  from  our  predecessors.  Not  a 
new  idea  in  manufacture — the  same  processes  as  ob- 
tained two  generations  ago.  No  improvement  in  agri- 
(jultm-e,  in  mining,  in  anytliing.  No  advance  in  educa- 
tion. Ambition  to  excel  in  virtue  or  attainments,  dead. 
Incentive  to  activity,  l)anished.  Hope  ak)ng  all  lines  of 
achievement,  blotted  out.  Have  we  not  paid  a  fearful 
price  for  om*  meager  possessions '? 

''  But  there  is  another  feature  of  the  situation  to  which 
I  now  call  attention.  I  have  before  me  advance  proof- 
sheets  of  the  census  of  the  year  2000,  fm-nished  by  a 
friend  in  Washington  at  my  request.  They  are  the 
very  first  issued.  The  facts  they  reveal  are  alarming 
and  portentous  in  the  highest  degree.  I  was  not  pre- 
pared for  them ;  neither  are  you.  We  have  been  sit- 
ting at  our  ease,  certain  that  a  beneficent  government 
would  supply  all  om*  needs ;  that  its  resom'ces  were  in- 
exliaustible.  No  danger  of  want  could  ever  overtake 
us ;  our  surplus  was  supposed  to  be  of  such  vast  mag- 
nitude as  to  place  all  contingencies  out  of  the  question. 
Like  you,  I  have  been  congratulating  myself  that  what- 
ever else  might  haj)pen,  our  supply  of  provisions  was 
unfailing  as  the  sunshine  and  the  seasons.  This  illu- 
sion is  dispelled  by  the  cold  facts.  We  are  here  in- 
formed that  the  surplus  of  all  kinds  of  grain  is  nearly 
exhausted.  One  more  year  of  the  same  policy  will 
utterly  consume  all  that  remains.  A  radical  change  is 
imperatively  demanded.  These  official  statements  ^vill 
startle  and  shock  the  whole  country. 

'^  What  is  the  cause  of  this  state  of  affairs  ?  We  have 
the  answer  here.     For  ten  years  and  more  the  drift  of 


LOOiaNG  WITHIN.  223 

population  has  all  been  to  the  towns  and  cities,  where 
the  greatest  ease  and  least  labor  and  privation  are 
secured.  Dimng  the  decade  the  whole  population  has 
increased  thirty  per  cent.  All  this  increase  has  been  in 
the  towns  and  cities.  Farmers  remain  the  same  in 
number  as  in  1990.  Then  the  rural  and  municipal 
populations  were  nearly  equal.  The  thirty-per-cent. 
increase  is  therefore  all  in  the  latter  class,  which  makes 
then'  increase  sixty  per  cent,  as  against  zero  for  pro- 
ductive farm  labor.  The  outcome  of  such  a  pohcy  is 
plain.     It  can  only  be  disaster  and  ruin. 

"  There  is  but  one  remedy — heroic  treatment.  Gov- 
ernment must  exercise  its  reserved  authority,  and  oi'der 
every  man  to  his  field  of  labor.  Choice  of  occupation 
on  the  part  of  the  individual  has  brought  us  to  the 
verge  of  destruction.  We  ought  to  have  foreseen  this, 
but  did  not.  The  number  of  miners  has  fallen  off  one 
third ;  of  fishermen,  more  than  one  half. 

"  The  denizens  of  the  cities  and  towns  must  be  com- 
pelled to  go  to  the  mines  and  on  the  farms,  and  pension- 
ers nuist  occupy  the  places  made  vacant  by  their  removal. 
The  Executive  Council  has  already  prepared  the  decree, 
which  will  be  promulgated  within  the  next  ten  days. 

"  The  supply  of  coal  is  exhausted.  There  is  not 
enough  on  hand  to  meet  the  demands  for  sixty  days. 
Every  miner  will  be  put  to  work  at  once  in  the  coal 
mines.  The  winter's  needs  are  to  be  provided.  This 
can  only  be  done  by  the  most  active  energy.  Need  I 
dwell  longer  on  this  picture  ?  While  we  have  been 
sleeping  in  fancied  security,  not  once  dreaming  of  the 
possibility  of  want  or  disaster,  the  foundations  have 
been  almost  removed  from  under  us.  We  look  witli 
trembling  di'cad  at  the  near  approach  of  privation  and 
want.     What  a  narrow  escape  ! 


224  LOOKINU    WITIUN. 

"  And  yet  what  else  could  we  exj)ect  ?  Let  us  look 
tlie  situation  squiire  in  the  fiiee.  With  no  iueentive  to 
l)roduce  sufficiency  of  supplies,  how  can  we  expect 
propel*  production  ?  With  idlers  servinj^  <>iily  as  con- 
sumers, swarming  to  the  cities  to  secure  ease  and  light 
employment,  how  could  we  presume  that  the  exposed 
toiler  on  the  soil  would  feel  like  pushing  his  work  ? 
He  gets  nothing  extra  for  extra  effoi-t.  He  receives  no 
more  for  his  hard  work  than  the  idler  in  city  or  country, 
Wliy  should  he  expend  his  energies  and  endanger  his 
health  ))y  exposure  to  feed  the  undeserving/  How 
many  of  you,  my  heai'ers,  would  exercise  all  the  powers 
of  mind  and  body  when  no  possible  personal  benefit 
can  be  received  for  twenty-foiu'  years  of  such  toil  and 
exposui'e  ? — twenty-four  years,  too,  of  the  very  strength 
of  your  nuinliood,  the  life-period  of  flower  aiul  fruit ! 

"  Suppose  I  make  this  matter  plain  as  an  object-lesson 
in  few  words.  The  man  who  does  honest  and  faithful 
labor  gets  no  more  for  it  than  he  who  shirks  and  idles 
away  his  time. 

"  The  man  who  invents  any  improvement  in  machinery 
or  develops  any  new  processes  spends  his  o\^^l  time  and 
s(,'rip  and  gets  no  benefits  for  the  same  not  common  to 
all  the  people. 

"The  author  who  ^vl•ites  a  book  gets  nothing  for  it. 
He  does  not  even  own  the  book. 

"  In  all  these  cases,  wliicli  can  be  indefinitely  nuilti- 
plied,  the  government  owns  the  man,  his  time,  and  all 
he  produces,  invents,  or  "writes. 

"  It  must  be  so  under  oui-  system.  If  government 
should  encourage  inventions  or  authorship,  one  half  the 
population  would  prefer  these  avenues  of  employment, 
to  those  of  manuid  labor. 

"  Again  I  ask,  have  we  not  paid  too  costly  a  price 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  22o 

for  wliat  we  liave  received  1  Who  can  measure  the  hiss 
we  have  sustained  by  reason  of  these  hindrances  to 
procuress,  to  inipi'ovement,  and  authorship  ?  How  much 
farther  advanced  wonhl  we  have  been  had  genius  been 
encoiu-aged  and  talent  rejiaid  ?  Have  we  properly  es- 
timated these  things? 

"  It  is  said  our  system  excludes  bribery  lieeansc  there 
is  no  wealth  to  offer,  and  no  poverty  to  tempt  or  to  ac- 
cept a  l:)ril)e.  But  there  is  strife  to  secure  the  same 
ends  as  briber^"  did  in  other  times.  Men  and  women 
are  as  anxious  to  secure  places  of  power  or  popularity 
as  they  ever  were,  and  are  as  unscrupulous  of  the 
means  as  at  any  other  period  of  history.  Open  your 
eyes  nnd  behold,  and  you  will  need  no  further  evidence 
in  this  direction. 

"  Our  government  is  cooperative  on  a  large  scale. 
But  cooperation  came  to  us.  Wo  did  not  invent  or 
discover  it.  Free  schools  and  compulsory  education 
are  not  ours,  but  the  fathers'.  Alas,  we  have  nothing 
new ! 

"We  are  told  that  riches  debauched  the  people  of  old. 
As  an  offset  to  this,  I  will  say  the  same  of  idleness 
in  our  day.  Nothing  is  so  great  a  foe  to  virtue  as 
unoccupied  time  and  talent  devoted  to  wickedness. 
Then  if  povei'ty  debased,  which  is  by  no  means  a  proved 
proposition,  as  many  of  the  greatest  and  best  men  of 
all  former  times  were  poor,  idleness  does  so  in  a  much 
larger  degree.  Idleness,  therefore,  does  more  harm 
than  either  poverty  or  wealth. 

"  Woman's  sphere  is  greatly  lauded  in  our  time.  In 
what  manner?  I  fail  to  see  any  marked  change.  She 
remains  the  same  as  in  all  ages  of  high  civilization. 
Her  condition  was  improved  a  hundredfold  more  in 
the  ages  preceding  oiu's  than  it  has  been  by  us.     Her 


22G  ].o()KJX(;  wiTiiix. 

crowiiiiifi"  gloiy  lias  always  l)cen  niotherliood,  and  al- 
ways will  be.  In  that  glory,  and  its  accompanying  re- 
sp()nsil)ilities,  slio  is  the  world's  redeemer  and  ben*^- 
factor.  I  think  we  have  done  nothing  for  woman  de- 
manding her  thanks.  She  is  the  greatest  earthly 
blessing  to  us  of  the  other  sex,  and  as  snch  w^e  shonld 
cherish  her  as  our  own  life. 

"  If  I  have  not  given  onr  system  credit  for  all  it  has 
done,  then  it  is  because  it  has  done  something  which 
does  not  appear.  It  is  true  a  person  may  use  his 
or  her  leisiu'e  for  personal  improvement.  But  how 
many  do  so  ?  Not  one  in  ten,  for  the  simple  reason 
that  no  adequate  inducement  is  held  out  for  such  use 
of  time.  Lack  of  food  and  clothing  can  no  longer  be 
pleaded  as  motives  driving  women  to  ruin.  That  is 
included  in  the  benefit.  Nevertheless  many  of  them 
go  to  destruction. 

''  I  would  gladly  present  any  ameliorating  features 
to  our  civilization  other  than  named  if  I  knew  of  their 
existence.  I  wish  to  be  faithful  in  both  statement  and 
intention.  I  w^oidd  rejoice  w^ith  exceeding  joy  if  we 
were  more  rapidly  hastening  the  great  jubilee  of  the 
race  than  our  ancestors. 

"  Our  system  is  erected  upon  a  ^vl'ong  foundation. 
Its  very  conception  is  erroneous.  It  appeals  to  man's 
lower  natiu'e  as  the  basis  of  his  elevation  in  nobler 
things.  How  can  spu'itual  life  be  developed  from 
nuiterial  soil  ?  How  is  it  possible  for  the  gratification 
of  merely  animal  desires  to  feed  the  soul  ?  How  is  the 
divinity  within  us  to  be  nourished  by  ministering  to 
nothing  but  the  requirements  of  the  body?  There  are 
as]tiratious  in  every  individual  who  is  not  grossly  lieastly 
which  lift  him  Godward.     How  shall  these  be  strength- 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  227 

ened  ?  Not  by  aid  of  tlio  tiling's  that  '  perish  in  the 
using  thereof.'  Yet  this  is  the  mistake  we  have  made. 
Om-  entii-e  energies  have  been  dii-ected  to  the  one  end, 
'  Wliat  shall  we  eat,  what  shall  we  drink,  and  where- 
withal shall  we  be  clothed?'  How  many  degrees  is 
this  above  the  brutes  ?  Shall  we  live  on  in  this  lower 
plane  ?  Shall  we  bequeath  this  debasing  estate  to  our 
children  as  their  heritage  f 

"  Man  is  a  religious  being.  He  worships.  If  he  does 
not  worship)  God  he  pays  his  homage  to  something  less. 
It  may  be  himself.  It  may  be  a  golden  calf.  It  may 
be  some  other  object  of  his  devotion.  Have  we  done 
anything  to  aid  this  part  of  his  natiu'e '?  Have  we  pro- 
vided means  for  its  right  development  I  Neglect,  utter 
neglect,  is  the  verdict  A\Titten  against  us.  In  a  large 
meashre  we  have  made  provision  for  the  physical  man ; 
in  no  adequate  respect  for  the  mental,  moral,  and 
spiritual  being.  AH  we  have  in  these  directions  is  the 
legacy  handed  down  to  us  from  our  fathers.  It  came 
from  that  dreadful  past  we  are  moved  to  regard  as  the 
sum  of  all  villakiies. 

"  If  we  had  succeeded  only  in  destroying  selfishness 
we  might  boast ;  but  we  have  not.  It  is  strong  and 
fierce  as  ever.  Its  modes  of  action  have  l>een  changed 
in  some  directions  to  meet  the  change  of  conditions ; 
but  it  is  the  same  mighty  giant  who  has  stalked  abroad 
in  all  the  ages,  ruling  with  a  rod  of  iron.  He  sways 
the  hearts  of  men  now  with  the  same  heai'tless  tyranny 
that  has  characterized  his  action  in  all  the  centuries  of 
the  past.  Hunt  Boston  from  end  to  end  in  the  broad 
sunshine  of  noonday,  or  with  a  lighted  candle  at  night, 
and  you  will  foil  to  find  a  human  heart  where  this 
monster  has  no  habitation. 


228  LOOKINCi   WITHIN. 

"It  is  falsely  claiinod  fov  our  chilization  that  ii 
makes  virtue  easy.  There  is  no  soft  and  velvet  patli 
along  which  the  untried  soul  can  pick  its  dainty  steps 
to  the  high  places  of  virtue  and  honor.  It  is  the  storm- 
beaten  oak  that  drives  its  roots  deepest  in  the  earth 
and  lifts  its  branches  highest  toward  heaven.  It  is  not 
the  calm  sea  but  the  tempest-tossed  ocean  that  makes 
a  good  sailor.  It  is  not  removal  from  the  activities  of 
life  that  builds  up  a  noble  character,  but  the  stern  battle 
of  life  where  temptation  is  resisted  and  strength  of  pur- 
pose and  action  developed.  He  is  the  accomplished  sol- 
dier who  lights  manfully,  not  he  who  lounges  in  camp. 

''  It  is  also  said  that  our  civilization  removes  tempta- 
tion. This  is  an  impossil^Uity.  Man  is  not  made  for 
the  law,  but  the  law  for  man.  All  that  we  have  done 
is  to  remove  the  avenues  of  temptation  in  two  direc- 
tions, that  of  poverty  on  one  side  and  riches  on  the 
other.  Temptation  is  only  possible  where  there  is 
something  to  respond  within  the  tenipti'd.  A  tree  has 
life,  but  it  cannot  l)e  tempted.  A  beast  ov  bird  cannot 
be  tempted  to  do  wrcmg,  l)ecause  neither  knows  what 
is  wrong.  As  has  been  said,  law  has  n<^)  moral  (piality 
and  eau  impart  no  moral  strength.  All  that  makes 
a  man  good  or  bad  })ro<M'eds  from  within,  not  from 
without.  All  the  avenues  of  temptation  exce})t  those 
named,  and  these  are  but  pai-tly  closed,  are  still  wide 
open.  Satan  is  not  l)ound  for  a  single  year,  nuich  less 
for  a  thousand  years. 

''What  it  has  cost  us  to  secure  the  little  we  have 
attained  by  our  l)()asted  civilization,  I  have  tried  in  a. 
small  degree  to  show  you.  I  may  add  to  what  has  been 
said  that  we  have  not  secured  repose  by  the  change. 
Agitation  is  rife.  We  have  not  secured  peaee.  Dis- 
content is  widespread.     We  are  on  the  verge  of  revolu- 


LOOKING   WITHIN.  229 

tion.  The  demand  tliat  equality  shall  be  a  fact  as  well 
as  a  theory  will  be  jjushed  until  a  change  is  effected. 
Some  go  so  far  as  to  require  that  equality  shall  extend 
to  jiersonal  appearance,  dress,  education,  and  all  else. 
Wild  as  this  proposition  may  appear,  and  visionary  and 
impossible  its  attainment,  it  will  be  presented,  get  a 
hearing,  and  as  experiment  and  speculation  are  the 
characteristics  of  the  day  and  age,  who  can  predict  that 
it  mil  not  be  tried  ? 

"■  The  e^dls  of  our  system  are  growing  worse.  The 
benefits  cannot  be  improved.  The  longer  we  continue 
on  the  present  footing  the  worse  we  shall  become. 
The  shadow  has  gone  back  on  the  dial  of  Ahaz.  It 
cannot  be  otherwise  when  industry  is  compulsory,  en- 
terprise dead,  and  Progress  folds  her  wings  in  the 
shadow  of  her  grief.  Worst  of  all,  there  is  no  recu- 
perative power  in  our  methods,  no  inherent  quality  of 
reformation.  The  outlook  is  gloomy  indeed.  If  help 
comes,  it  must  come  from  without,  not  from  within, 
our  toi'pid  civilization. 

"Wliat  are  our  prospects  and  the  possibilities? 
Where  and  what  shall  our  children  be  a  century 
hence  under  this  regime  f  Our  predecessors  made 
progress;  we  are  retrograding.  Shall  we  go  back 
into  barbarism  ?  Shall  v/e  not  rather  halt  and  take  a 
new  start  ?  Let  what  little  good  we  have  be  grafted 
on  to  the  good  of  the  nineteenth  century,  removing 
the  defects  from  both.  This  will  give  us  the  model 
civilization  of  the  ages.  As  the  chemist  of  former 
times  excelled  the  one  of  our  day,  as  demonstrated  in 
recent  well-known  eases,  so  let  the  best  civilization  of 
that  century  cast  out  tlie  lilots  and  defects  of  ours, 
and  gathering  all  the  good  and  eliminating  the  e\dl, 
let  us  have  that  righteousness  which  exalteth  a  ua- 


230  LOOKIXG    WITUIN. 

tion,  and  once  more  crown  tlie  man  and  not  the 
means. 

"  These  census  sheets  report  more  sviieides  during 
tlie  hist  than  in  any  former  decade.  At  fii"st  this  sur- 
prised me.  When  the  physical  wants  are  all  supplied 
without  anxiety,  why  should  people  desire  death  ?  A 
little  reflection  solved  the  a})part'nt  enigma.  The  needs 
of  the  spii'itual  and  mental  natures  must  be  provided 
or  the  soul  becomes  a  prey  upon  itself.  Our  neglect  to 
furnish  incentives  and  outlets  for  development  on  these 
lines  explains  the  mystery. 

"  No  system  of  government  or  morals,  no  social  re- 
lations, no  scheme  for  bettering  the  condition  of  man- 
kind, can  prosper  which  is  founded  upon  the  presump- 
tion that  man  is  not  selfish.  It  is  impossible.  The 
cornerstone^  is  rotten  ;  it  will  crumble  into  dust.  Selfish- 
ness is  ingi'ained  in  man's  nature.  In  its  highest  de- 
veloi)ment  it  is  essential  to  his  success  in  any  enterprise. 
No  law  or  other  de\'ice  of  human  invention  can  remove 
it;  it  is  a  part  of  the  constitution  of  man.  What 
it  needs  is  proper  direction.  It  is  a  mighty  force. 
Directed  aright,  it  is  one  of  the  world's  great  instru- 
mentalities for  good ;  misdirected,  it  is  evil,  only  evil, 
and  that  continually,  Alas,  that  Ave  do  not  the  best  we 
know  !  Our  consciences  continually  upT)raid  us  for  not 
doing  better.  The  one  ceaseless  effort  on  the  part  of 
those  who  try  to  do  right,  to  be  virtuous  and  godlike,  is 
to  l-eep  from  (lohuj  wrong.  From  the  better  part  of  his 
nature  no  one  has  any  regrets  for  frying  to  do  right, 
nor  for  any  effort  to  keep  from  doing  right.  All  the 
battle  is  in  tlie  struggle  to  overcome  the  natural  inclina- 
tion to  do  cril.  Tliis  is  tlie  conscious  experience  of  every 
person.  It  hns  nothing  to  do  with  dogma.  This  is  the 
history  of  each  individual  and  of  the  race  as  a  whole. 


LOOKING   WITHIN.  231 

All  efforts,  whether  in  the  form  of  instruction  or  of 
laws,  should  be  directed  in  harmony  with  this  under- 
lying principle,  if  good  results  are  to  be  secui-ed.  The 
stream  cannot  rise  above  the  fountain-head.  We  have 
failed  because  our  endeavors  have  been  projected  on 
the  supposition  that  these  great  facts  do  not  exist,  or 
that  the  law  of  human  conduct  could  be  reversed.  The 
error  is  vital. 

'■'■  The  liighest  glory  of  man  is  that  he  was  created  in 
the  image  of  God.  Out  of  this  sublime  truth  limitless 
possibilities  grow.  Before  him  extends  a  boundless 
future  whose  crowning  glory  is  immortality.  Aspira- 
tion has  no  limit.  Onward,  uj)ward  he  may  climb, 
while  3^et  beyond  are  loftier  attainments  wliich  lift  their 
high  summits  in  the  eternal  sunlight  of  God.  The 
divine  method  is  the  only  one  for  bettering  the  condi- 
tion of  the  human  family.  If  tliere  had  i^een  a  Ijetter 
one,  Infinite  Wisdom  would  have  provided  it.  The 
fountain  of  man's  natm-e  is  not  material  but  spiritual. 
As  a  son  of  God  the  roots  of  his  being  center  in  the 
Father.  AU  worthy  development  must  be  in  harmony 
with  these  fundamental  truths.  On  this  basis  alone 
can  the  '  Fatherhood  of  God  and  the  brotherhood  of 
man '  be  reahzed.  Having  disregarded  these  things,  is 
it  any  wonder  we  have  failed  and  now  stand  on  the 
brink  of  disaster? 

''  In  the  attainment  of  any  real  or  ideal  perfection, 
personal  responsibihty  cannot  be  ehminated.  Indeed, 
this  is  the  point  on  which  destiny  makes  its  revolutions 
in  the  development  of  human  character.  Our  economy 
is  defective  in  so  far  as  it  reduces  the  responsibility  of 
the  individual  and  places  it  upon  the  government. 
The  development  of  the  masses  along  industrial,  in- 
teUeetual,  and  moral  lines,  is  essential  to  general  pros- 


2;j2  looking  within. 

prrity.  We  have  neglected  to  lionor  labor,  and  it  lias 
■  degenerated  into  drndgery.  Compidsory  toil  is  always 
performed  grndgingly.  It  is  felt  to  be  degi-oding.  It 
ai)peals  to  no  manly  instinct.  It  is  reasonal)le,  there- 
fore, that  production  should  diminish.  Threatened 
destitution  is  the  legitimate  harvest  of  such  sowing. 
Hence  it  is  that  we  see  failure  written  on  the  pages  of 
our  history.  We  ai'e  not  at  peace  with  ourselves.  We 
are  battling  with  our  environments.  As  they  .struggle 
beneath  their  unrecpiiting  burdens,  you  can  hear  the 
gi'eat  heart-throbs  in  the  bosoms  of  thinking  citizens. 
Listen !  Do  ycm  not  hear  the  prophetic  nnitterings 
that  tell  but  too  plainl}'  that  social  and  political  earth- 
quake and  ui^heaval  are  at  hand  ? 

"  Let  us  not  be  alarmed.  Wait  calmly.  God's  hand 
is  on  the  helm.  He  directs  the  mighty  and  minor 
changes  of  time.  It  seems  a  part  of  His  infinite  plan 
to  i)ermit  men  to  'hew  out  cistei'us  that  hold  no  water,' 
to  devise  methods  for  uplifting  the  race  which  have  no 
lifting  powei".  Man  must  learn  the  measure  of  his 
ability  and  the  limit  of  his  inability  l)efore  he  can  be- 
come truly  wise.  As  the  fullness  of  time  develops,  the 
Hand  which  alone  can  lift  heavenward  will  be  seen  in 
the  hour  of  need,  and  wiU  come  to  the  rescue  in  eveiy 
crisis.  Wait  patiently.  The  day  of  redemption  will 
come.  The  divine  civilization  which  ennol)les  and 
glorifies  men  will  appear.  Wait  and  work.  But  work 
on  right  hues.  I  trust  we  shall  become  wiser  by  ex- 
perience. The  errors  of  the  past  should  be  teachers  for 
the  future. 

"  We  have  learned  some  things  that  (mght  to  do  us 
good.  Among  others  we  may  name  these :  Paternal- 
ism does  not  promote  industry.  It  docs  not  promote 
morality.   It  is  no  aid  to  intellectual  development.   Its 


LOOKING   WITHIN.  233 

iuflueiiee  is  paralyzing-  iu  all  directions.  It  kills  and 
does  not  make  alive.  It  blights  and  never  beautifies. 
It  blotches  and  never  adorns.  It  degrades  labor.  It 
debases  manhood.  It  ends  progress.  It  stifles  enter- 
prise. It  destroys  commerce.  It  estranges  our  people 
and  makes  aliens  of  brethren.  It  breeds  discontent. 
It  palsies  all  it  touches.  It  blots  out  all  enthusiasm. 
It  checks  right-directed  ambition.  It  develops  a  race 
of  drones.  It  crj'staUizes  injustice  and  inequality.  It 
handicaps  genius.  It  buries  talent.  It  wastes  energy. 
It  despoils  humanity.  It  produces  no  great  men.  It 
throttles  improvement.  Its  unemployed  time  is  devoted 
to  evil  rather  than  good.  It  is  the  promoter  of  material 
death.     It  is  political  malaria. 

'^  I  pause.  The  indictment  is  but  half  complete,  yet 
is  it  not  enough  ?  Shall  we  despair  1  Shall  we  fold 
oui'  hands  and  say,  '  It  is  none  of  my  business ;  let 
tilings  drift'?  No!  Before  it  is  too  late,  before  we 
have  degenerated  past  recovery  and  become  a  nation 
of  imljeciles,  let  us  awake,  arouse,  and  better  oui'  con- 
dition !  We  have  lost  much.  We  have  also  learned 
valuable  lessons  of  truth.  Let  us  name  a  few  things 
that  we  have  l:»een  taught :  that  feeding  the  stomach 
does  not  feed  the  mind ;  clothing  the  body  does  not 
robe  the  soul ;  housing  the  person  does  not  furnish  a 
habitation  for  the  spirit.  Man  has  aspirations  whidi 
were  never  born  of  material  things.  They  are  the  God 
part  of  his  nature,  not  of  the  earth  earthy.  Why  not 
provide  for  these?  Why  minister  only  to  his  lower 
nature!  Wliy  pamper  the  animal  and  neglect  the 
angel  in  him  ? 

"  Man  is  the  only  being  on  earth  that  assimilates 
thought,  intellect,  morality,  religion.  Beasts  assimilate 
food.     Are  they  thereby  made  wiser  or  better  ?     Shall 


234  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

man  l)e  driven  down  on  the  low  plain  of  Ijestiality  1 
Shall  om-  efforts  for  his  welfare  begin  and  end  here? 
ShaU  the  divine  impress  whieh  stamps  him  lord  of  this 
lower  creation  be  dimmed  or  obliterated  ?  It  was  not 
the  design  of  paternalism  to  do  this.  But  has  it  not 
tended  largely  to  tliis  end  ?  With  all  its  good  inten- 
tions, and  we  concede  these,  has  it  not  been  one  of  the 
most  signal  failures  of  all  timet  Failure  inheres  in  it. 
It  touches  none  of  the  hidden  springs  of  human  action ; 
it  kindles  no  fires  of  emulation  ;  it  holds  out  no  induce- 
ments to  excel ;  it  lifts  no  standard  of  high  attainment, 
offers  no  adequate  reward  for  endeavor.  How  could  it 
do  otherwise  than  fail  ? 

"  Out  of  this  death  there  shall  come  life.  Out  of  this 
grave  there  shall  be  a  resurrection.  God  is  not  dead. 
Man  still  lives.  Ah-eady  the  touch  of  the  divine  finger 
has  (piiekened  soid-impulses  in  ten  thousand  l)reasts. 
They  have  shaken  oft'  the  lethargy  of  unnatural  ease 
and  are  girding  on  the  arnun-  of  manhood.  They  have 
enlisted  in  the  war  for  lii'e.  The  pui'pose  is  to  raise 
us  all  out  of  this  plodding  death  into  the  activities  of 
responsil)le  existen(;e ;  to  restore  us  from  ser\itude  to 
lil)erty;  to  make  us  nu'u  and  no  longer  nuicliines.  It 
will  take  time  to  complete  the  revolution,  for  it  must 
l)e  bloodless.  But  tlu^  first  steps  are  ali-eady  taken ; 
the  rest  will  follow  as  (juiekly  as  possible.  As  num  see 
tlu^  light  they  will  walk  in  it.  As  truth  points  the  way 
they  will  follow.  The  oi)enhig  of  a  new  and  l)etter  day 
shall  speedily  dawn  upon  the  desolate  places  of  our  land. 
If  these  facts  have  alarmed  you,  look  up  and  fear  not. 
The  hour  of  deliverance  draweth  near.  The  wisdom  of 
God  and  the  uplifting  power  of  human  effort  divinely 
directed  shall  glorify  om*  race  and  nation.  Be  of  good 
cheer." 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  235 

This  discourse,  listened  to  by  so  many  thousands, 
made  a  profound  impression  upon  all  who  heard  it, 
whether  in  city  or  country.  That  was  its  design.  Its 
revelations,  so  utterly  at  variance  with  universal  belief, 
fairly  took  away  the  breath  of  the  vast  audience.  People 
went  home  silently  from  the  huslied  attention  given  to 
the  preacher.  The  gravity  of  the  situation  precluded  all 
levity.  Men  wanted  to  think ;  women  were  impressed 
with  a  sense  of  impending  evil. 

The  next  day  groups  of  citizens  could  be  seen  in  all  di- 
rections discussing  the  situation.  Those  who  were  in  the 
city  for  ease  became  alarmed.  They  dreaded  the  harder 
lot  which  they  were  so  soon  to  realize.  They  would 
have  rebelled  against  the  order  that  would  send  them  to 
the  farms  and  the  mines,  but  being  slaves  they  had  no 
alternative  but  obedience  or  open  defiance.  They  dare 
not  do  the  latter ;  the  other  must  be  done.  But  many 
a  dissatisfied  head  rested  upon  its  pillow  that  night  and 
for  many  nights  thereafter. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

The  changes  foreshadowed  by  Dr.  Butler  came. 
Farms  "vvere  divided  into  parts  of  ten  and  twenty  acres, 
and  houses  were  erected  on  them  for  the  new  occupants. 
The  utmost  activity  jirevailed.  Eveiy  man  was  bus}'. 
It  was  Like  a  new  world.  The  limit  of  service  was  ex- 
tended from  forty-five  to  fifty  j^ears  of  age.  The  pau- 
pers, as  Mr.  Acre  termed  them,  were  put  on  the  fanns 
and  in  the  mines.  Every  coal-miner  in  the  land  was 
set  to  work  in  the  coal  mines.  The  danger  here  was 
so  imminent  that  the  utmost  energy  had  to  be  put  forth. 

Such  energetic  action  on  the  part  of  the  government 
had  never  been  known,  because  no  such  contingency 
had  arisen.  It  put  new  hfe  into  affairs.  The  acti^'ity 
was  contagious.  After  the  first  sullen  and  reluctant  ac- 
quiescence on  the  part  of  the  discontented,  the  people 
responded  with  alp.erity  to  the  demands  made  upon  them. 
It  was  indeed  tlieu'  only  salvation  from  impending  ruin 
or  suffering.  Occupation  and  motive  for  action  proved 
a  blessing.  The  erection  of  so  many  buildings  gave  an 
appearance  of  thrift  which  in  itseK  was  exhilai-ating. 
No  such  exliil)ition  of  activity  had  been  seen  by  tliat 
generation.  The  change  from  previous  stagnation  to 
(piickened  life  was  cheering  and  inspiiing. 

By  lu'gent  efforts,  before  winter  set  in,  enough  coal 
was  secured  and  distributed  to  nu^et  the  demands  of 
the  country.  Comfort  and  business  were  thus  pro\ided 
for.   Pro\isions  were  carefully  handled  and  l)u.sbanded 

2^0 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  237 

SO  that  they  held  out  until  the  next  year's  crops  renewed 
the  supply.  Under  the  new  enthusiasm  the  crops  were 
the  most  abundant  ever  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the 
government. 

Matters  proceeded  in  this  improved  manner  for  a 
year.  The  unusual  impetus  was  then  over.  Gradually 
things  settled  down  into  the  old  routine.  Enforced 
di"udgery  moved  sluggishly  along  in  its  appointed 
channels.  On  the  surface  was  the  former  appearance 
of  quiet  and  inertia.  But  the  recent  revolution  had 
taught  the  people  a  lesson.  They  felt  their  power. 
Beneath  the  languid  exterior  there  was  unrest.  Groups 
of  men  and  women  could  be  seen  at  almost  any  hour 
of  day  or  night  not  occupied  by  compulsory  work,  who 
were  usually  in  earnest  conversation,  sometimes  demon- 
strative. As  there  was  no  immediate  danger  to  be  ap- 
prehended, this  meant  discontent.  It  was  the  fret  under 
chains ;  it  was  the  incipient  stages  of  revolt.  How 
long  time  it  would  require  to  obtain  sufficient  headway 
and  concentrated  action  depended  upon  contingencies. 
The  leaven  was  at  work  in  the  measures  of  meal,  and 
it  was  only  a  question  of  time  when  the  whole  lump 
would  be  leavened.  As  the  fetters  of  governmental 
slavery  now  began  to  bind  and  chafe,  the  aspiration 
for  personal  independence  grew  stronger  day  by  day. 

How  to  attain  this  desirable  end  and  yet  not  surrender 
the  one  benefit  of  general  distribution  by  the  govern- 
ment was  the  vexed  question  which  came  up  for  solu- 
tion. Various  schemes  were  proposed,  some  wild,  others 
reasonable,  but  none  that  reconciled  the  two  antago- 
nistic principles  or  policies.  How  to  be  freemen  and  yet 
receive  the  sole  benefit  of  slavery  could  not  be  adjusted. 
The  great  law  of  compensation  intervened,  which  could 
not  be  abolished  nor  seriouslv  modified.     It  was  but 


238  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

another  attempt  of  the  ages  to  attain  tlie  unattainable 
— a  feat  no  genius  has  ever  been  able  to  aeeoniplish. 

While  this  agitation  was  going  on,  another  feature 
of  affau's  developed  to  coinpUcate  matters.  The  thieves 
who  had  been  in  the  cities  were  now  on  farms.  For  a 
time  they  conducted  themselves  properly;  but  after 
the  novelty  of  the  new  life  wore  off,  they  returned  to 
their  old  habits.  It  was  comparatively  easy  to  steal 
from  neighboring  fai'nis  and  Uve  high.  Grain,  vegeta- 
bles, and  poultry  were  taken  by  stealth,  under  cover  of 
darkness.  These  depredations  became  so  numerous 
and  the  aggregate  amounts  pm-loined  so  great  that  the 
attention  of  government  was  called  to  the  subject.  A 
force  of  detectives  was  organized,  similar  to  that  of  the 
Pinkertons  in  the  pre\'ious  century,  to  protect  the  honest 
farmers,  and  tlirough  them  the  government  itself,  and 
to  catch  and  punish  the  thieves.  Hundreds  and  even 
thousands  were  arrested  and  proved  guilty.  Prisons 
had  to  be  built  to  hold  the  criminals.  They  were  made 
to  labor,  but  as  then"  labor  competed  with  no  one  it 
was  universally  sanctioned.  This  was  an  unexpected 
development  of  the  new  civilization  on  a  large  scale. 
There  could  be  no  excuse  for  men  stealing  whose  wants 
were  all  supplied ;  nevertheless  thieves  abounded. 

All  these  things  tended  to  confirm  the  discontent  and 
augment  it.  There  were  two  classes  of  agitators :  one 
desired  a  retiu'n  to  the  old  ways  of  former  times  with 
some  amendments,  while  the  other  clamored  for  a  more 
radical  measure  of  reform  than  had  ever  yet  been  de- 
vised by  the  fertile  or  fevered  brain  of  mortals.  The 
dispute  became  fierce.  It  had  an  appearance  of  the 
old  contest  between  capital  and  laboi-.  Finnlly  a  com- 
promise was  effected.  The  (conservatives  woidd  wait 
and  permit  the  radicals  to  try  their  scheme ;  if  it  sue- 


LOOK[N({   WITHIN.  239 

ceeded,  well ;  if  not,  then  all  were  to  unite  upon  the 
platform  of  the  moderates. 

The  scheme  of  the  radicals,  to  use  theii-  own  languag'e, 
was  that  men  should  be  equal  in  fact  as  well  as  in  name. 
Tlie  time-honored  truths  of  the  old  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence were  to  be  made  a  reality  in  fact  as  in 
words,  and  no  longer  remain  "  glittering  generalities  " 
without  meaning.  They  would  solve  for  all  humanity 
and  for  all  time  the  great  problem  of  the  centuries : 
liberty,  equality,  fraternity.  How  ?  Reader,  do  not 
smile  as  theii*  plans  unfold.  Have  not  as  wild  and  vis- 
ionary schemes  marked  the  ages  ?  Do  not  their  wi'ecks 
strew  the  strands  of  time  on  every  shore  ?  Is  paternal- 
ism less  ridiculous  ? 

The  great  end  to  be  achieved  was  to  make  all  men  of 
exactly  the  same  size  and  features,  and  all  women  of 
exactly  another  size  and  features.  Each  man  was  to 
be  an  exact  likeness  of  every  other  man,  each  woman 
of  every  other  woman.  To  accomplish  this,  molds 
were  to  be  prepared,  ranging  from  infancy  to  manhood 
and  womanhood,  precisely  alike,  each  to  be  an  exact 
fac-simile  of  all  the  others.  Into  these  molds  all  in- 
fants were  to  be  placed,  and  through  infancy,  child- 
hood, and  youth  be  reared  and  educated.  Fanatical 
as  such  a  preposterous  measure  appears,  it  was  pressed 
on  the  government  and  finally  adopted.  But  its  ap- 
plication was  limited  to  the  province  of  Massachusetts. 
Only  those  who  voluntarily  chose  to  adopt  the  theory 
were  to  be  subject  to  its  sway.  Those  who  did  not 
wish  to  become  parties  to  the  measure  were  pri\'ileged 
to  remove  elsewhere.  The  exodus  was  great ;  but 
there  remained  enough  in  the  province,  reinforced  by 
large  numbers  from  outside,  to  try  the  experiment. 

Molds  were  at  once  prepared  and  approved.    Ameri- 


240  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

cans  were  uow  to  subject  their  children  to  the  cruel 
process  bodily  to  which  Chinese  gii'ls  condemn  their 
feet.  Men  of  common  sense  looked  on  amazed.  The 
radicals  were  in  high  glee.  They  would  teach  the 
world  wonderful  things. 

I  was  desirous  to  see  the  outcome  of  this  freak. 
The  contingencies  of  life  being  uncertain,  I  felt  in- 
clined to  resort  to  oiu*  former  method,  and  take  a  nap. 
I  mentioned  this  to  Effie,  and  she  fell  in  with  the  sug- 
gestion. We  mentioned  our  purpose  to  our  friends. 
They  tried  to  dissuade  us ;  but  the  departure  of  all  of 
these  under  fifty  yeai'S  of  age  gave  us  a  good  excuse 
for  holding  to  our  plan.  Edith  then  informed  Effie 
that  she  and  jNIi*.  West  were  to  be  married  in  a  few 
weeks,  and  that  at  any  rate  we  must  remain  for  the 
wedding.     To  this  we  cheerfully  assented. 

As  an  evidence  of  the  change  of  sentiment  which 
had  taken  place,  not  only  with  himseK  but  in  the 
entii'e  community,  Dr.  Leete  had  Dr.  Butler,  in  pref- 
erence to  Mr.  Barton,  to  officiate  at  the  nuptial  cere- 
mony. As  the  parties  to  this  happy  event  had  become 
famous,  the  occasion  was  one  of  no  little  importance. 
It  revived  the  memory  of  events  heretofore  recorded. 
We  enjoyed  it  thoroughly.  This  over,  adieus  were 
spoken  and  we  departed. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

After  settinc:  out  for  home,  it  was  suggested  that 
we  take  advantage  of  tlie  opportunity,  and  by  making 
an  extensive  personal  examination  of  the  various  prov- 
inces, satisfy  ourselves  regarding  the  true  situation  of 
atfairs  as  to  the  people  themselves,  theii*  opinions,  and 
the  condition  of  the  country.  We  did  so.  Much  was 
learned.     A  few  incidents  only  can  be  given  here. 

In  the  south,  where  the  larger  part  of  the  colored 
people  still  remained,  there  was  more  sluggishness 
than  elsewhere.  Being  again  reduced  to  slavery, 
though  of  a  different  kind  from  the  old,  the  slave 
.  habits  returned.  There  being  no  motive  for  improve- 
ment as  formerly,  no  aspirations  to  be  gratified  which 
appealed  to  the  senses,  the  incentive  of  pecuniary  gain 
or  of  securing  personal  liberty  being  removed,  there 
were  not  even  the  few  exceptional  cases  of  former 
times  when  colored  men  rose  above  their  surround- 
ings. Men,  women,  and  children  would  lie  around  in 
the  sun  when  it  was  cool,  in  the  shade  when  it  was 
hot.  They  were  as  indifferent  as  domestic  animals 
concerning  what  might  befall  them  on  the  morrow. 
To  them  ''  sufficient  unto  the  day  was  the  evil  thereof." 
There  were  some  exceptions ;  but  very  few  of  them 
did  laborious  or  earnest  work  during  the  hours  of 
labor,  and  were  idle  the  rest  of  the  time.  The  Briggs 
class  was  numerous ;  wasteful  and  slovenly  farming 
prevailed;  cotton  was  not  more  than  half  a  crop; 

241 


242  LOOKING   WlTllIM. 

mueli  rico  was  wnstod  in  fratlicriii*!;.     There  were  rare 
evidences  of  enterprise  on  the  part  of  wliite  or  bhiek. 

A  few  of  the  more  aetive  and  intelligent  citizens 
were  posted  on  national  affairs.  The  vast  majority 
knew  nothing  beyond  the  neighborhood  gossip  and 
the  more  sensational  news  from  elsewhere  published 
in  the  papers.  Sensations  were  rare  for  the  reason 
that  the  general  indisposition  of  the  people  to  exer- 
tion, reaching  all  classes,  included  the  crhuinals.  Rail- 
ways were  so  lazily  operated  that  there  was  no  occa- 
sion for  accidents,  and  these  occuiTed  only  through 
carelessness.  As  few  people  were  traveling,  accidents 
were  confined  to  the  destruction  of  property.  It  could 
be  set  down  to  the  credit  of  paternalism  that  crime 
partook  largely  of  the  prevailing  apathy,  and  was  in- 
frequently startling  or  ingenious,  and  accidents  seldom 
destroyed  life. 

When  we  reached  New  Orleans  we  found  the  bar- 
barism of  old  times  still  perpetuated  in  prize-fights 
and  kindred  amusements.  The  fighting,  however,  was, 
like  everything  else,  of  poor  quality  and  lacking  in 
vim.  On  the  whole,  the  outlook  at  the  South  was  less 
promising  than  at  the  North.  Large  tracts  of  coun- 
try, especially  along  the  rivers,  once  cultivated,  were 
now  permitted  to  go  to  waste.  The  levees  along  the 
Mississippi  were  in  a  state  of  bad  repair,  and  on  the 
down-grade  to  demolition.  The  atmosphere  seemed 
to  be  laden  with  di-owsiness  and  the  people  afflicted 
with  lassitude. 

In  conversation  with  some  gentlemen  who  appeared 
to  be  above  the  average  in  intelligence,  the  new  experi- 
ment on  trial  in  Massachusetts  was  mentioned.  They 
had  not  heard  of  it,  and  expressed  surprise.  One  of 
the  nimiber  remarked : 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  243 

"  Massachusetts  was  always  a  hot-bed  of  fanaticism 
and  new-fangled  hol)bies.  More  liumbngs  were  started 
there  and  in  the  rest  of  New  England,  than  in  all  the 
country  besides." 

The  old  Southern  prejudice  against  the  Yankees  had 
not  died  out.  Tradition  was  stronger  than  knowledge 
with  them. 

In  the  West  there  was  more  life  than  at  the  South. 
Some  of  the  olden  energy  siu'vived.  There  was  also  a 
disposition  to  be  cranky  on  the  part  of  the  descend- 
ants of  the  promoters  of  the  wild  schemes  of  the  nine- 
teenth century.  Like  the  Yankees,  they  were  ever  on 
the  hunt  for  some  new  thing.  There  being  no  room 
or  place  for  the  visionary  methods,  they  died  in  the 
inception. 

Our  extensive  observations  confii'med  what  we  al- 
ready either  knew  or  believed.  There  was  no  life,  en- 
ergy, activity  anywhere,  to  speak  of.  Improvements 
of  any  character  were  very  rare.  The  general  aspect 
reminded  one  of  the  decrepitude  of  age.  Apathy  was 
visible  in  every  department  of  industry.  Enterprise 
or  thrift  in  any  direction  was  exceptional.  Indolence 
was  common — almost  universal.  There  was  no  comity 
of  feeling  between  sections  of  the  country.  The  West 
was  alien  to  the  East,  the  East  to  the  West,  and  so  of 
North  and  South.  No  commercial  or  social  ties  existed 
worthy  of  the  name.  National  unity  was  almost  an 
unknown  thing;  at  best  it  was  but  a  rope  of  sand 
ready  to  separate  at  any  time. 

On  the  surface  aU  appeared  serene  and  quiet — the 
quiet  of  death.  Beneath  was  unrest.  Men  of  culture 
and  thought  felt  the  incubus  of  paternalism.  It  was 
to  them  a  wall  of  fate  shutting  out  all  advancement 
or  hope  of  bettering  the  condition  of  mankind.     It 


244  LOOKlKG  WITHIN. 

was  the  octopus  whose  teiitaek's  grasped  and  stran- 
gled the*  life  out  of  human  endeavor,  leaving  enter- 
prise and  progress  dead  at  its  feet.  Sliackling  per- 
sonal endeavor,  it  slew  ambition  and  crushed  hope. 
Ministering  to  the  animal  only,  it  left  the  higher  man 
to  perish  by  the  wayside. 

The  men  of  revolutionary  tendencies  were  resolute. 
They  met  often  in  consultation.  But  for  the  "  Massa- 
chusetts folly,"  as  they  termed  it,  they  would  i)ush  and 
precipitate  matters.  As  it  was  they  must  wait.  But 
they  would  be  ready  when  the  time  came.  They  were 
active  as  well  as  determined.  A  peacefid  change  was 
theii*  aim. 

We  had  no  desire  to  be  smothered  by  the  miasma 
of  paternalism  nor  to  be  drawn  into  the  conflict  for  a 
new  ci\'ilization.  It  was  delightfid  to  find  ourselves 
once  more  at  home  in  our  quiet  retreat.  We  enjoyed 
the  sweet  repose  for  a  few  weeks,  and  then  retu'ed  for 
a  prolonged  rest. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

We  awoke  refreshed  and  invigorated.  After  a  few 
days  of  home  enjoyment,  we  again  visited  the  regions 
we  had  previously  explored.  Everything  looked  old 
and  time-worn ;  the  same  general  appearance  in  all 
respects,  except  that  old  age  was  apparent.  Decrepi- 
tude was  the  principal  change.  This  met  the  gaze  at 
every  turn.  The  scenes,  like  approaching  desolation 
repeating  itself,  were  too  depressing  to  retain  us.  We 
left  them  all  behind  and  went  to  Boston. 

Many  of  our  former  friends  were  absent.  Some  had 
*^  passed  on  over  the  river " ;  others  removed  from 
Massachusetts  when  the  "  chimera  of  equality  usurped 
the  place  of  common  sense,"  as  they  expressed  it.  Mr. 
Hume,  full  of  years  and  honors,  voluntarily  remained 
at  his  post.  Dr.  Butler,  whose  locks  bespoke  a  ripened 
life,  was  still  the  patriarch  of  his  parish,  loved  of  aU. 
Mr.  Barton  was  on  a  prolonged  absence,  visiting  in 
New  York.  Dr.  Leete,  if  still  alive,  was  living  in  Con- 
necticut with  his  daughter.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Acre  resided 
in  the  city,  vigorous  in  old  age  and  alive  to  every 
movement  on  the  part  of  the  people  looking  toward 
improvement.  From  all  who  remained  we  met  a 
pleasing  welcome.  They  were  all  astonished  to  find 
us  no  older  than  when  we  parted  from  them  a  quarter 
of  a  century  before,  while  Time  had  left  his  touches 
upon  all  of  them. 

Boston  was  remarkably  quiet.  What  could  mean 
245 


246  LOOIONG  WITHIN. 

this  unusual  stillness?  I  was  anxious  to  learn  the 
outcome  of  the  fad  to  secure  equality.  I  knew  no 
man  who  could  give  me  the  desired  information  more 
readily,  intelligently,  and  fully  than  Mr.  Hume.  I 
could  see  nothing  of  the  equalized  humanity  on  the 
streets.  I  sought  Mr,  Hume  and  made  known  my 
desire. 

"  How  fares  the  experiment  of  making  ai-tificial  men 
and  women  ? "  I  inquired.     He  replied : 

"  Outwardly,  in  the  physical  aspects,  as  finally  per- 
fected, the  experiment  has  proved  successful  beyond 
any  belief  of  its  possibility.  We  have  a  race  of  men 
and  w^omen  who  are  exact  fac-simUes  one  of  another. 
One  gives  you  a  transcript  of  all.  Exactly  alike  in 
feature,  form,  size,  contour,  expresses  the  simple  truth." 

"How  can  this  be?  Surely  there  must  be  differ- 
ences in  the  color  of  the  hair,  the  eyes,  and  shades  of 
complexion,"  I  said. 

"At  fii'st  there  were  differences  so  decided  that  the 
whole  scheme  was  about  to  break  down  on  incipient 
trial.  But  its  friends  came  to  the  rescue  vntli  a  zeal, 
faith,  and  earnestness  worthy  of  any  cause.  The  sys- 
tem of  graduated  molds  had  seciu'ed  perfect  equality 
in  size  and  shape — a  really  wonderful  and  surprising 
result.  How  to  secure  equally  satisfactory  effects  in 
color  then  became  the  problem  of  difficult  solution. 
Proper  rewards  brought  the  chemists  to  the  front. 
Harmless  dyes  or  coloring  fluids  were  produced,  which 
rendered  hair,  eyes,  and  complexion  of  precisely  the 
same  shades  of  color  in  each  individual.  Each  person 
in  the  experiment  was  required  to  use  these  prepara- 
tions every  day,  so  as  to  insure  uniformity  and  suc- 
cess. Then  came  a  difficidty  on  intellectual  lines. 
Some  men  and  women  were  endowed  with  mental  fac- 


LOOKING  WITHIN,  247 

ulties  superior  to  tlie  rest.  The  variation  was  exten- 
sive and  universal.  To  overcome  this  inequality  or- 
ders were  issued  that  only  such  subjects  as  should  be 
selected  and  assigned  each  morning  by  the  proper  offi- 
cers should  be  discussed  during  the  day.  The  rules 
were  strict,  the  hues  of  discussion  closely  drawn,  and 
a  fine  imposed  for  the  violation  of  any  rule,  and  fine 
and  punishment  for  a  second  or  subsequent  violation. 
This  appeared  to  work  well  on  the  start.  The  advo- 
cates of  the  measure  were  in  high  feather.  It  was  the 
first  and  only  experiment  in  the  history  of  man  where 
equality  for  all  had  been  secm-ed  fully  and  fairly. 
Envy,  jealousy,  mahce,  hatred,  partiality,  all  inequality 
and  cause  for  ill-feeling  and  jars  in  society,  were  re- 
moved, banished  forever  from  the  home,  the  commu- 
nity, and  the  world. 

'^  It  was  amusing  at  each  stage  of  the  advancing  ex- 
periment to  witness  the  old  rivah-ies  creeping  out. 
Women  were  jealous  of  those  who  had  faces  more 
expressive  or  of  more  delicate  texture  than  theii*  own. 
Men  were  envious  of  those  who  manifested  more  intel- 
lectual power  than  themselves.  When  the  dead-level 
was  reached  the  enthusiasts  cried,  '  Eureka ! '  It  had 
all  the  appearance  of  a  complete  victory  for  an  abstract 
and  absurd  theory.  Those  who  had  been  skeptical,  or 
who  had  prophesied  failm-e,  were  silenced  for  a  brief 
time.     Then  came  the  denouement. 

"Wives  did  not  know  tlieii*  husbands.  Husbands 
could  not  tell  then'  own  wives  from  those  of  their 
neighbors.  Childi-en  could  not  distinguish  their  par- 
ents. As  all  residences  are  alike  and  the  street  num- 
bers have  been  obliterated  from  houses  by  time,  the 
confusion  was  rendered  still  more  confounded.  You 
can  readily  conceive  what  a  chaos  there  was  in  the 


248  LOOKING  WITIIIN. 

social  and  domestic  world.  The  only  way  Inisband  and 
wife,  parents  and  cliildren,  could  teU  each  other  in  a 
crowd  or  company  was  by  holding  fast  one  to  the 
other.  If  once  separated  it  was  impossible  to  i-ecog- 
nize  each  other  from  the  rest  of  mankind.  I  should 
have  told  you  that  in  additicm  to  other  things  tlie 
voices  were  trained  to  the  same  tones  and  modes  of 
expression.  The  dress  of  all  was  precisely  alike.  Per- 
fect likeness  was  the  supreme  aim  and  end  of  the  ex- 
periment, without  which  it  must  fail.  These  outward 
requisites  were  attained.  Appearance,  speech,  man- 
ners, di-ess  alike.  How  many  exchanges  of  husbands 
and  wives  were  made,  w\\\  probably  never  be  known. 
If  such  exchange  should  be  ascertained,  shame  and 
self-respect  would  lead  to  hiding  the  fact.  Children  as 
well  as  parents  became  mixed.  They  were  constantly 
puzzled  to  tell  their  parents  when  not  in  their  molds. 
The  family  entanglements  of  those  daj^s  will  never  be 
imi'aveled,  I  presume. 

"  The  same  conditions  rendered  it  impossible  to  de- 
tect thieves  or  other  criminals  and  l)ring  them  to  jus- 
tice. Unless  caught  in  the  act  and  held  fast  until  tried 
there  was  no  such  thing  as  proving  identity.  It  proved 
to  be  the  'rogues'  paradise.'  All  kinds  of  misdeeds 
were  perpetrated  with  reckless  boldness.  The  novehst 
has  abundant  material  here  for  any  kind  of  probable 
or  improbable  stor}^  Property  was  insecure.  Women 
did  not  dare  walk  the  streets  or  the  country  roads  un- 
protected. In  a  word,  all  the  evil  passions  were  let 
loose  and  had  almost  unrestrained  license  to  prey  upon 
society.  It  was  astonishing  to  see  how  wicked  people 
could  be,  when  shielded  from  the  probable  possibility 
of  detection. 

''  The  experiment  in  the  end  proved  the  most  dismal 


LOOKING   WITHIN.  249 

failure  ever  recorded.  The  advocates  of  this  phase  of 
the  perfection  of  'hberty,  equality,  fraternity,'  were 
the  first  to  demand  its  abrogation  in  all  that  can  be 
changed.  The  orders  for  annulling  the  whole  thing 
arrived  from  Washington  three  days  ago.  You  are  a 
little  too  late  to  see  the  thing  in  its  perfection.  All 
who  can  are  remaining  concealed  until  the  colors  are 
washed  or  faded  out,  so  that  by  shades  of  skin,  hair, 
and  eyes  one  can  be  told  from  another.  We  did  not 
all  see  the  '  end  from  the  beginning.'  There  were  reve- 
lations for  all,  as  the  experiment  was  unfolded  before 
us,  measure  by  measure.  We  have  probably  all  learned 
something,  and  will  be  '  wiser  for  our  folly.' " 

"  The  one  thing  that  seems  most  forcible  to  me,"  I 
said,  "  is  the  folly  of  this  or  any  other  attempt  to  im- 
prove upon  nature's  ordinances.  The  highest  achieve- 
ment possible  in  this  direction  is  to  conform  most 
closely  to  the  irrepealable  laws  that  govern  us,  which 
we  cannot  modify,  though  we  may  infringe  upon  to 
om'  hurt." 

''  That  leads  me  to  say,"  rejoined  Mr.  Hume,  "  that 
our  present  social  and  political  structure  is  so  entirely 
artificial  and  unnatural  that  it  must  break  down  of  its 
own  imperfection.  Indeed,  it  is  already  breaking  up 
and  wiU  soon  be  abandoned.  Another  generation,  if 
not  another  decade,  would  plunge  the  nation  into  cha- 
otic ruin." 

"  Is  it  as  bad  as  that  ? "  I  said. 

''  Can  you  not  see  ?  Is  not  decadence  written  on  all 
you  behold  ?  Can  you  find  a  man  who  has  any  inter- 
est or  ambition  in  the  work  he  is  doing?  I  think  you 
used  to  have  a  saying  like  this,  '  Uncle  Sam  is  rich 
enough  to  give  us  all  a  farm.'  Well,  that  is  the  feel- 
ing now.     The  government  is  rich  enough  to  keep  all 


2o0  LOOKING  TV^THIN. 

the  people  in  idleness,  is  the  feeling  of  the  indolent. 
Those  who  "woiild  be  industrious  have  no  heart  to 
work,  because  the  idlers  and  vagabonds,  who  are  on  the 
increase,  receive  as  much  benefit  from  theii*  industry 
as  they  do  themselves.  It  is  the  same  thing  Mr.  Acre 
complained  of  twenty-five  years  ago,  but  growing  con- 
stantly worse. 

"^  Our  alienation  has  l)ecome  greater,  despite  the  ef- 
forts of  patriots  and  philanthropists  to  preserve  unity 
and  fellowship.  We  are  as  much  strangers  to  each 
other  as  though  li\'ing  under  foreign  governments. 
Indeed,  the  affinity  and  intercom'se  between  our 
fathers  and  people  of  Em-ope  were  vastly  gi'eater  than 
exist  now  between  the  inhabitants  of  the  different 
provinces  of  this  country.  The  people  of  Maine  have 
no  more  interests  in  common  with  those  of  Florida 
than  with  those  of  China.  The  same  is  true  of  New 
York  and  California,  or  any  other  portion  of  the 
nation.  People  a  hundi-ed  miles  apart  know  nothing 
of  each  other.  Marriages  are  confined  to  the  localities 
where  the  parties  reside.  Intermarriage  between  per- 
sons of  different  provinces  is  almost  unknown.  Ours 
is  a  system  of  isolation.  It  can  be  nothing  else  for  the 
reason  that  it  furnishes  no  means,  provides  no  facili- 
ties, and  presents  no  inducements  for  intercom-se 
among  the  people.  The  motive  being  absent,  the  de- 
sii-e  vanishes  or  becomes  a  mere  sentiment  without 
vitality.  With  nothing  to  bind  us  together,  disinte- 
gi-ation  is  imminent.  AU  that  is  needed  to  separate 
and  distract  us  is  a  leader,  or  a  few  leaders,  to  set 
the  machineiy  in  motion.  The  situation  is  critical. 
Prompt  action  of  a  very  radical  character  is  our  only 
salvation." 

"  I  am  fully  aware  of  the  truth  of  much  that  you 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  251 

say,  but  was  not  prepared  for  so  startling  a  conclu- 
sion.    Is  the  crisis  so  threatening?"  I  said. 

''  It  is.  I  have  exaggerated  nothing.  Indeed,  exag- 
geration is  impossible.  We  are  on  the  brink  of  ruin 
or  revolution.  Fortunately,  the  government  is  no^v 
composed  of  able  and  patriotic  men — the  best  we  have 
had  under  paternalism.  They  enjoy  the  confidence  of 
the  people.  They  understand  the  situation.  They  have 
the  nerve  and  the  patriotism  to  act.  Our  infant  re- 
public had  its  Washington ;  later,  the  nation  had  its 
Lincoln  :  these  with  then-  compeers  gave  us  and  saved 
us  our  country.  Our  present  rulers  are  men  of  simi- 
lar qualities.  The  eyes  of  the  people  are  looking  to 
them ;  the  patriots  of  the  land  are  with  them.  To- 
morrow is  Sunday.  Dr.  Butler  will  give  one  of  his 
timely  and  instructive  discourses,  which  will  enlighten 
the  populace.     Let  us  adjourn  and  listen  to  him." 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

The  following  day  Effie  and  I  and  a  few  other 
friends  were  assembled  in  Mr.  Hume's  offiee  to  listen 
to  Dr.  Butler.  Expectation  was  on  tiptoe.  All  tlie 
people  of  Boston  and  great  numbers  from  the  adja- 
cent country  were  his  auditors.  The  church  building 
was  overcrowded.  Every  telephone  in  the  city  was 
called  into  use.  The  doctor  had  become  almost  the 
prophet  of  the  province.  His  remarkable  age  and 
patriarchal  appearance  gave  additional  weight  to  his 
words.  Verging  on  fourscore  years,  he  yet  retained 
all  his  mental  vigor,  simplicity,  and  lovable  character- 
istics. To  men  a  philosopher,  to  the  truth-seeker  a 
teacher,  to  childhood  a  loWng  and  sympathetic  friend 
and  counselor,  to  all  as  one  instructed  in  the  oracles 
of  God  and  the  needs  of  men,  he  was  reverenced  and 
beloved  by  the  nuisses,  honored  and  esteemed  by  the 
thoughtful,  while  some  regarded  him  as  a  ''teacher 
come  from  God ''  and  endowed  with  wisdom  suited  to 
his  high  commission.  But  he  was  only  a  wise  man, 
full  of  love  for  his  kind,  gentle,  affable,  full  of  simplic- 
ity and  humility.  He  was  never  too  heavenly  to  for- 
get the  earthly  needs  of  his  hearers  or  his  fellow-men. 
He  did  not  hide  away  in  abstractions,  nor  live  in 
fancy-painted  Edens,  nor  deal  in  high-sounding  phrases 
that  neither  himself  nor  his  auditors  could  understand 
and  which  have  no  itractical  meaning.  He  ke[)t  his 
heart  close  by  and  in  unison  with  the  great  heart- 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  253 

beats  of  humanity,  so  as  to  know  and  feel  their  needs. 
He  prepared  himself  to  "feed  the  flock"  with  real 
food,  not  with  the  husks  of  either  men-made  creeds  or 
vain  philosophy. 

As  this  was  one  of  the  rare  occasions  when  he  car- 
ried secular  aifaii's  prominently  into  his  pulpit  as  an 
understood  part  and  featui-e.  of  his  theme,  and  as  a 
means  of  instruction  to  those  who  Hstened,  we  "vvill 
permit  him  to  speak  for  himself  to  the  people  whom 
he  loved,  and  for  whose  benefit  he  had  prepared  the 
discourse  of  the  occasion. 

DR.   butler's  discourse. 

"Twenty-five  years  ago  I  stood  in  this  place  and 
proclaimed  a  coming  revolution.  That  revolution  came, 
as  we  all  know.  It  was  only  the  prelude  to  another, 
more  radical  and  far-reaeliiug.  That  other  is  at  the 
door.  But  for  the  late  experiment  to  secure  absolute 
equahty  among  men  and  women,  from  which  so  much 
was  expected  only  to  bring  disappointment,  the  change 
would  have  occurred  ere  this.  I  trust  all  these  experi- 
ments make  us  wiser  and  better,  however  unfortunate 
they  may  be.  This  quarter  of  a  centmy,  how  swiftly 
it  has  sped  away !  How  it  has  whitened  the  locks  of 
so  many  of  my  hearers  !  The  childi'cn  of  that  day  the 
fathers  and  mothers  of  this  !  Have  we  gi'own  better 
with  age  ?  Have  we  gathered  the  honey  of  knowledge 
and  the  honeycomb  of  wisdom  from  these  fleeting 
years  as  they  have  tripped  so  lightly  past  us  ? 

"  My  text  to-day  is  found  in  the  thirtieth  verse  of 
the  seventeenth  chapter  of  Acts :  '  And  the  times  of 
this  ignorance  God  wdnked  at ;  but  now  commandeth 
all  men  everywhere  to  repent.' 


254  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

"  Paul  was  talking  to  the  pliilosopliers  and  wise  men 
of  Greece,  assembled  ou  Mars  Hill  at  Athens,  when  he 
uttered  these  words.  I  shall  not  attempt  a  theological 
discussion  of  theu*  import.  The  good  sense  of  my 
auditoi's  will  readily  perceive  their  application  to  the 
present  time. 

"I  shall  not  now  repeat  the  sad  story  of  the  failure 
of  our  civilization.  The  mistakes  we  have  made  are 
too  palpable ;  oui-  failm-e  is  wi-itten  on  every  part  and 
parcel  of  the  entu-e  land.  If  it  were  inscribed  in  let- 
ters of  light  and  fii'e  on  the  blue  firmament  above  us, 
it  could  not  be  more  distinctly  legible.  Alas,  that  it 
is  written  upon  hmuan  hearts  as  well !  Sadder  stOl 
that  human  souls  have  been  cramped,  mutual  sym- 
pathies obhterated,  unity  of  interest  destroyed,  and 
the  ties  of  brotherly  love  rent  asunder ! 

"  The  last  experiment  was  only  a  logical  culmination 
of  what  had  preceded  it.  The  soil  had  been  prepared 
for  it;  onlj^  the  seed  needed  to  be  x>lanted.  The  ante- 
cedent had  gone  before,  not  as  John  the  Baptist  to 
prepare  a  successful  way,  but  as  Theudas  to  lead  the 
people  astray.  Its  confessed  failm-e  by  its  particular 
friends  is  significant.  It  is  but  the  handwriting  ou  the 
waU  which  proclaims  in  trumpet  tones  the  utter  col- 
lapse of  all  unnatm'al  and  piu'ely  artificial  expedients 
for  bettering  the  condition  of  men.  How  much  better 
or  worse  was  this  last  effort  to  perfect  men  l^y  molds 
than  its  antecedent  and  contemporary  plan  of  making 
him  noble  and  good,  happy  and  contented,  by  material 
appliances  ?  Wliy  does  not  the  shape  of  his  body  have  as 
much  influence  on  his  mind  and  soid,  as  the  shape  and 
measure  of  the  food  he  eats  and  the  clothes  he  wears  ? 
If  fitting  hmi  to  the  grooves  of  a  mechanical  mode  of 
living  can  produce  magiiificeut  results,  why  not  fitthig 


LOOKING   WITHIN.  255 

him  to  artificial  molds  have  the  same  effect  I  We  des- 
ignate one  of  these  experiments  as  chimerical  and  vis- 
ionary beyond  reason.  Why  nut  the  other  also?  If 
equality  of  occupation  will  improve  and  elevate  us, 
why  not  equality  of  person  ?  If  no  virtue,  no  reward 
attaches  to  ability  of  mind  or  skill  in  labor ;  if  we  run 
all  men  in  one  set  of  common  gi'ooves,  so  much  to  do 
and  so  much  to  receive,  whether  they  are  capable  of 
gi'eater  or  less  achievements ;  in  a  word,  if  labor  and 
recompense  are  dealt  out  to  all  in  one  measure,  and  all 
qualifications  to  do  better  or  worse  are  either  ignored 
or  cramped  down  into  this  one  common  adjustment, 
why  not  make  men  ahke  in  jDhysical  appearance,  men- 
tal pui'suits,  and  aU  that  pertains  to  them  ?  Where  is 
the  foUy  if  the  artificial  in  one  case  does  not  apply 
with  equal  force  in  the  other  1  I  leave  these  pertinent 
questions  for  philosophers  to  dispose  of  and  proceed 
to  discuss  matters  practically  before  us. 

"Our  system  of  distribution  is  not  equal.  It  re- 
quires that  the  man  of  great  mental  and  physical 
powers  shall  be  requii-ed  to  do  no  more  than  he  of  lim- 
ited ability.  If  in  any  case  the  strong  person  does 
more  than  the  weak  one,  it  is  because  he  is  better  than 
the  system.  He  is  under  no  obligation  to  do  more, 
and  receives  no  additional  compensation  if  he  actually 
does  more.  On  the  theory  that  remuneration  and  labor 
should  be  equal  this  is  correct.  No  less,  no  more  to  eacli 
individu^.  How  unreasonable  is  this  on  the  broad 
basis  of  endowment  and  responsibility  Ijeing  coexten- 
sive !  Our  standard  of  equivalents  is  just  on  the  Ijasis 
of  our  unnatural  adjustment,  for  if  I  only  do  so  much 
I  should  only  receive  so  much,  and  vice  versd.  But  to 
ignore  thy  natural  capal)ilities  of  men  in  these  as  in  all 
other  particulars  is  radically  wrong  in  itself. 


256  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

^'The  wdsest  of  all  teachers  knew  better  tluin  this. 
He  imderstood  the  true  relationship  existing  between 
endowment  and  responsibility.  No  two  men  are  ex- 
actly alike.  To  lengthen  one  by  \'iolence  and  shorten 
the  other  l^y  amputation  to  fit  the  one  Procrustean 
bed  is  the  policy  we  have  been  pursuing,  while  that  of 
the  Master  was  to  give  and  require  five,  two,  and  one 
talents  of  His  stewards,  to  each  man  and  from  each 
man  according  to  his  several  ability.  But  we  say  to 
the  man  with  five  talents,  'One  talent  is  all  that  is 
requii-ed  of  you,'  and  the  same  demand  is  made  upon 
the  man  with  one  talent !  Is  it  any  wonder  we  have 
failed,  and  that  the  failure  is  unto  death  ? 

''  Pei'sonal  responsiljility  to  the  full  measure  of  each 
individual's  abilities  and  opportunities  is  essential  to 
the  welfare  of  any  people ;  without  it  there  can  be  no 
robust  manhood.  Our  fatal  mistake  lias  been  that 
this  gi'eat  law  of  development  has  been  ignored.  Gov- 
ernment has  usurped  and  exercised  the  prerogatives  of 
the  man.  It  cannot  perform  liis  duties.  It  deprives 
liim  of  the  [)rivilege  of  performing  them,  and  so  they 
are  unperformed,  and  the  loss  is  personal  and  national. 
Look  at  results. 

"  A  quarter  of  a  centiuy  ago  Boston  was  beautifid. 
Her  buildings  were  painted,  decorated,  embellished ; 
to-day  they  are  dingy,  dust-covered,  time-worn,  and  un- 
attractive. Then  her  sti-eets  were  covered  with  awn- 
ings from  end  to  end,  to  shield  from  rain,  snow,  and 
heat;  now  these  awnings  are  either  gone  entu-ely  or 
are  hanging  in  tatters.  This  city  is  a  typical  emblem 
of  the  ccmntiy  from  center  to  periphery.  It  is  in  a  con- 
dition of  decay  and  decrepitude  morally  and  financially. 
Could  we  reasonably  expect  any  other  result?  Is  it 
possible  for  such  causes  to  produce  a  different  effect  ? 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  257 

"As  has  been  already  said,  no  sturdy  morality  can 
exist  where  personal  responsibility  is  eliminated.  As 
a  necessary  correlative,  the  less  responsil)ility  the  less 
moral  stamina.  We  have  removed  or  greatly  lessened 
responsibility  by  making  servants  of  the  people.  They 
are  not  required  to  do  anything  but  work.  They  have 
only  to  perform  their  allotted  tasks.  With  that,  ac- 
countability commences  and  ends.  Even  the  sick  have 
nurses  provided  to  care  for  them.  The  helpful  tonic 
of  fraternal  sympathy  is  not  provided  for.  If  the  af- 
flicted receive  it,  they  get  that  much  more  than  our 
system  provides  for  them.  Like  machines,  we  move 
as  we  are  directed.  Development  into  stalwart  man- 
hood and  womanhood  under  such  conditions  is  a  man- 
ifest impossibility.  A  few  individuals  may  rise  above 
these  disabilities ;  the  masses,  a  whole  people,  never. 

"While  the  moral  and  intellectual  powers  are 
dwarfed  by  our  methods,  the  passions,  the  merely  ani- 
mal nature,  develop  by  the  simple  process  of  growth. 
They  require  no  stimulants.  They  need  checks.  With 
enervated  morals  and  strongly  developed  passions, 
what  but  misfortune  can  be  our  deplorable  condition  ? 
No  object-lesson  is  required  to  tell  the  sad  story.  But 
for  the  almost  universal  lack  of  energy,  which  em- 
braces all  the  faculties  of  mind  and  body,  the  situation 
would  be  desperate. 

"  As  it  is,  these  insidious  evils  have  l)een  undermin- 
ing the  home  life  and  the  social  fabric.  While  we  have 
slept,  an  enemy  hath  sown  tares  among  om-  wheat. 
Boston  would  be  startled  if  her  people  but  realized 
their  danger.  Thousands  are  only  asleep  as  yet,  but 
they  sleep  on  the  brink  of  a  precipice.  In  the  lan- 
guage of  the  prophet,  I  would  caU  upon  all  to  'Awake, 
awake!     Put  on  thy  strength,  O  Zion !     Put  on  thy 


258  L0OKJ\(i    WITHIN'. 

Iteaiitiful  cfavments,  O  Jcnistilom  !  No  more  let  the 
uueircuincised  ;ind  the  uneleuii  eoiiie  unto  tlice  !  Loose 
thyself  from  the  bands  of  thy  neck,  O  eaptive  daughter 
of  Ziou  !  Ye  have  sold  yourselves  for  naught,  and  ye 
shall  be  redeemed  without  money.'  Yea,  friends,  it  is 
high  time  to  awake  out  of  sleep.  Sleep  is  not  rest.  It 
is  death !  The  enemy  is  at  the  door.  Bolt  and  bar 
against  his  entrance.  If  ah-eady  within  the  saered 
precincts,  expel  Mm  promptly. 

''And  what  of  the  religious  aspects  of  the  times? 
If  possiljle,  worse  than  the  others.  The  fact  that  each 
person  receives  only  enough  from  the  government  foi- 
a  comfortable  support  leaves  nothing  that  is  not  taken 
from  such  support  for  benevolent  or  religious  jmr- 
poses.  No  one  can  now  '  la}^  by  as  the  Lord  prospers 
him'  for  His  treasury.  The  government  prospers  the 
people,  not  the  Lord.  And  that  accounts  for  the  kind 
of  prosperity — or  lack  of  it — we  have.  Persons  can 
only  lay  l)y  from  the  government's  stipend.  The  minis- 
ter receives  his  support  from  the  government  the  same 
as  other  citizens,  not  because  he  is  a  minister,  but  be- 
cause he  is  a  man.  This  may  be  all  right.  I  do  not 
complain  of  it.  But  I  do  complain  of  that  paternalism 
which  places  all  men  on  the  same  level,  whether  they 
have  one  talent  or  five  talents.  Such  a  system  ignores 
ability,  intelligence,  integrity.  Skill  counts  for  noth- 
ing. Honesty,  talent,  genius,  manhood,  count  for  noth- 
ing. Ignorance,  laziness,  indolence,  slothfulness,  are 
equally  paid  and  honored  with  industry,  energy,  thrift, 
and  economy.  LTnder  such  a  regime  righteousness  drops 
out. 

"The  churches  are  all  crippled  in  their  work  at 
home.  Missionary  work  is  practically  abandoned  in 
foreign  fields.     All  new  church  edifices  are  built  by 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  2o9 

the  government,  which  is  not  interested  in  this  work. 
Then  it  is  next  to  impossible  for  the  government  to 
act  in  this  fiehl  withont  causing  jealousy  between  de- 
nominations. Each  sect  fears  some  other  will  get  an 
advantage.  This  is  all  wi-ong,  but  it  is  an  infirmity  of 
human  nature  that  needs  to  be  eradicated.  It  requires 
but  a  glance  at  the  situation  to  perceive  that  it  is  un- 
fortunate indeed.  The  dead  blight  of  paternalism  rests 
upon  everything  we  touch., 

"  As  of  old,  church  and  state  are  separate.  Govern- 
ment dare  not  act  with  energy  in  anything  pertaining 
to  church  work  without  exciting  general  distrust. 
Under  such  conditions  progress  is  im230ssible.  The 
chiu'ches  are  handicapped  and  so  is  the  government. 
The  kingdom  of  Christ  does  not  advance.  The  wheels 
of  Zion  stand  still. 

"  Shall  we  be  discouraged  1  No  !  As  far  as  possible 
let  us  shake  ourselves  from  the  body  of  this  death.  Let 
us  lay  hold  of  the  Infinite  resources,  which  are  able  to 
lift  us  out  of  and  above  these  dismal,  discouraging,  and 
disastrous  surroundings  and  hopefully  place  us  on  the 
highway  of  prosperity  with  all  our  powers  rein\'igor- 
ated,  all  our  hopes  rekindled,  all  oiu'  jDiu-poses  to  be 
stronger  and  better  awakened  into  new  life.  Up  !  and 
shake  the  dust  of  listlessness  from  oui*  feet. 

"  'As  a  man  thinketh  in  his  heart  so  is  he.'  This 
being  true,  it  becomes  an  important  question,  Wliat 
shall  we  think?  As  our  characters  will  be  modeled 
after  our  thoughts,  they  will  be  noble  or  ignoble  ac- 
cording to  the  mold  in  which  they  are  formed,  or  the 
plan  after  which  they  are  constructed.  The  biulding 
first  exists  in  the  thought  of  the  architect  or  designer ; 
then  it  takes  form,  and  the  visible  structure  is  exactly 
the  reproduction  of  the  invisible  one  previously  con- 


2G0  LOOKINC    WFTHIN. 

strncted  in  tlio  mind.  So  cliaraetor  is  tlie  conntevpavt  or 
visible  nianitVstat  ion  of  wliat  provionsly  existed  and  t<  t(  »]c 
form  in  thought.  What  is  the  character  of  your  thoug-lit  s, 
my  heai*ers  ?    Are  they  like  the  dead  sea  about  us  ? 

''Next  to  rig-lit  thinking  is  right  believing.  If  a  man 
does  not  believe  in  the  existence  of  vii'tue,  he  will  not 
be  virtuous.  If  he  does  not  believe  in  the  possibility 
of  a  virtuous  life,  he  wdll  not  try  to  live  such  a  life. 
If  a  man  believes  he  cannot  live  a  better  life,  he  will 
not  try  to  ])etter  his  condition.  If  a  man  does  not  be- 
lieve in  the  existence  of  God,  he  will  not  try  to  become 
lilvc  God.  If  he  says  there  may  be  a  God,  but  he  don't 
know  anything  about  it,  he  ^oll  not  seek  to  be  in  llie 
image  of  God.  To  him  there  is  no  original  and  hence 
no  image.  If  a  person  believes  there  is  a  God  but  He 
neither  hears  nor  answers  prayers,  he  waU  never  i)ray 
to  Him  for  any  aid  or  favor.  These  are  plain,  primaiy 
principles.  How  are  we  squaring  our  lives  ?  By  these 
negations,  or  by  a  positive  faith  and  pure  and  elevat- 
ing thoughts  ?  Are  we  dead  in  unl)elief  or  alive  in  a 
faith  that  lifts  us  up  into  the  Infinite  Life?  Are  we 
trying  to  become  godlike?  Or  are  we  di'ifting  on  the 
tide  of  indifference  on  this  sea  of  stagnation  ?  All  our 
environments  inviti^  to  indolence  in  morals  as  in  other 
things.  We  must  arouse  and  shake  all  lethargy  from 
the  soul.  The  night  al)0ut  us  is  dark  truly,  but  only 
the  more  need  to  be  active. 

"As  paternalism's  failure  is  a  failure  unto  death; 
as  fanatical  equality  has  failed,  a  sad  failure  unto  an- 
archy in  social  and  domestic  life;  as  the  outlook  fi-om 
all  Inmian  and  artificial  methods  is  dark  as  Egypt — 
where  is  help  to  arise ?  Is  hope  dead?  Are  we  aban- 
doned to  impending  destruction  without  help  or  possi- 
bility of  deliverance  ?   No  !    A  thousand  times  no  !    Om* 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  261 

failures  should  be  lessons  of  instniction.  Out  of  this 
vaUey  of  death  we  should  hasten  into  the  light  of  a  new 
life.  The  bow  of  promise  shall  yet  span  this  cloud  of 
night  and  darkness.    Only  be  men — men  to  dare  and  do. 

*'  Wlien  the  words  of  the  great  Teacher  cease  to  be 
mere  platitudes,  lifeless  as  paternahsm,  and  glow  with 
di^dne  beauty  and  energy;  when  they  move  men's 
hearts  and  lives  with  heavenly  impulses  and  inspired 
action ;  when  men  shall  really  love  their  neighbors  as 
themselves,  which  is  the  sum  of  all  duty  of  man  to 
man ;  when  men  shall  '  do  unto  others  as  they  would 
that  others  should  do  unto  them ' ;  when  men  '  shall 
bear  one  another's  burdens  and  so  fulfill  the  law  of 
Christ ' ;  when  they  shall  '  look  not  every  man  on  his 
own  things,  but  every  man  also  on  the  things  of 
others ' ;  when  these  living  principles  shall  permeate 
the  hearts  of  men  and  become  to  fchem  the  moving 
motives  to  action — then  truly  will  j'ipened  experience 
end  in  subhme  reality.  Then  will  millennial  glory,  so 
long  prayed  for,  yet  delayed  through  selfishness  and 
unbelief,  shed  its  hallowed  and  divine  radiance  over 
the  world,  crowning  men  with  the  halo  which  dawned 
upon  the  cross  of  the  Crucified.  Then  shall  men  be 
fused  into  one  great  brotherhood  of  fellowship,  the 
culmination  of  the  angelic  announcement  to  the  shep- 
herds of  Betlilehem,  ''On  earth  peace,  good- will  to  man ' 
— the  reign  of  purified  and  perfect  love. 

"  Let  us  not  be  deceived.  Because  we  have  trusted 
in  human  efforts  alone  and  been  disappointed,  we 
should  not  despair.  If  these  cisterns  hewn  out  by 
men  are  empty ;  if  the  body  of  human  laws  have  no 
life  in  them ;  if  the  genius  of  men  has  made  fountains 
that  have  no  water  in  them  ;  if  all  the  exiiectations  of 
men  in  man's  wisdom  have  perished — yet  we  should 


202  LOOIONd   WITHIN. 

lil't  up  our  heads  into  the  li^^lit  wliicli  .shines  from  the 
eternal  Sim  and  never  gi*ows  dim.  The  reij^n  of  peace 
and  love  will  only  })e  achieved  by  the  cooperation  of 
hmnan  and  divine  agency.  We  have  tried  the  hnman 
alone,  and  where  are  we  ?  On  the  outer  brink  of  the 
desolation  of  ruin !  Man  is  selfish.  God  is  love. 
Si'lfisliness  must  be  conquered.  It  need  not  be  kUled ; 
but,  like  love,  be  directed  to  the  highest  ends  of  life 
here  and  hereafter.  An  enlightened  and  sanctified 
selfishness  is  pure  and  angelic.  Let  us  attain  it.  How "? 
By  becoming  godlike. 

"  That  love  which  makes  of  mankind  a  brotherhood 
is  not  born  of  time,  of  earth,  of  human  de\'ice.  It  has 
its  root  in  that  inexpressible  tenderness  which  dwells 
in  the  bosom  of  Eternal  Love.  It  is  this  that  shall 
bless,  crown,  and  glorify  humanity.  The  rest  we  should 
seek  is  not  that  which  comes  from  legal  enactments, 
but  the  ineffable  repose  that  the  weary  soul  shall  find 
when  it  folds  its  tu-ed  pinions  on  the  loving  breast  of 
Him  who  says,  '  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor  and 
are  heavy  laden,  and  I  wiU  give  you  rest.'  It  is  not  the 
light  of  man's  reason  that  shall  illuminate  the  world, 
but  the  'light  that  shines  in  our  hearts  to  give  the 
knowledge  of  the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus 
Christ.'  It  is  His  '  glory  that  shall  cover  the  earth  as 
the  waters  cover  the  sea.' 

"  As  we  stand  amid  the  wreck  of  worldly  hopes,  as 
we  gaze  on  the  failm-e  of  human  devices,  as  we  find 
the  staff  of  paternalism  upon  which  we  leaned  for  sup- 
port a  broken  reed  in  our  hand  whose  shai-p  and  jagged 
points  pierce  us,  as  man's  wisdom  has  proved  such  a 
dismal  failure,  let  us  cease  to  trust  in  those  'things 
that  perish  in  the  using  thereof,'  as  we  see  all  about  us, 
and  turn  to  Him  whose  infinite  wisdom  is  always  helpful. 


LOOKING  WITHIN,  263 

''We  are  entering  upon  a  new  era.  Old  tliing-s  are 
passing  away.  As  the  rickety  fonndation  of  onr  civil- 
ization is  removed  from  under  our  feet,  let  us  be  careful 
that  we  stumble  not  on  the  slippery  places  where  its 
deceptive  structm-e  has  left  the  slime  of  its  presence. 
As  I  said  to  some  of  you  that  day  a  quarter  of  a  centuiy 
ago,  so  I  repeat  now,  change  is  at  the  threshold.  This 
time  it  will  be  radical.  Men  will  be  restored  to  them- 
selves. Mastership  of  the  govei-nment  will  end.  The 
palsied  hand  of  disease  will  be  lifted  from  the  body 
politic.  Responsibility  will  be  removed  from  the  central 
power  to  individuals.  Out  of  the  artificial  groove  we 
wiU  retm'n  to  nature's  channel.  From  machines  we 
will  be  restored  to  men.  Out  of  bondage  we  'v\dll 
emerge  into  liberty,  out  of  slavery  into  freedom.  The 
taskmastei-'s  work  will  soon  be  ended,  the  degradation 
of  servitude  pass  away.  Are  we  ready  for  the  change  ? 
Are  we  prepared  to  be  men  ?  Shall  we  meet  our  new 
responsibilities  in  the  strength  and  pride  and  glory  of 
our  ancestors  1  Again  I  inquire,  '  Watchman,  what  of 
the  night  ? '  And  I  hear  the  response,  '  The  morning 
Cometh.'  Glad  morning  for  us !  Glad  morning  for 
America !  Glad  morning  for  the  world  !  Farewell,  O 
night  of  darkness  and  death,  farewell !  And  not  a  tear 
to  shed  over  the  grave  of  thy  buried  dead  !  Depart  ye  ! 
depart  ye !  Go  ye  out  hence  and  return  no  more  to 
blight  and  curse  our  once  happy  land. 

"  How  shall  we  welcome  the  new  life  ?  Shall  it  be 
with  a  song  of  joy  upon  our  lips?  Will  any  of  us 
murmur  after  the  flesh-pots  of  EgyjDt  ?  Will  any  Linger 
in  the  doleful  shadows  of  paternaUsm  ? 

*'  What  a  multitude  of  questions  rise  l)efore  us ! 
What  a  new  world  of  activity  opens  to  view !  How 
the  manhood  within  us  begins  to  stir,  as  a  chained 


2G4  LOOKING   WITHIN. 

giant  in  its  pi-ison  cell !  How  tlio  shackles  fall  at  our 
feet  with  a  dull  thud  of  welcome  to  the  aspirmg  soul ! 
The  breath  of  the  new  life  ah-eady  invigorates  in  antic- 
illation.  It  is  like  a  draught  from  the  fountain  of  life 
— like  odors  from  sweet  Ambrosia.    Wait  just  a  little  ! 

"  A  word,  dearly  beloved,  for  you  and  me.  Let  ns 
not  enter  rashly  or  thoughtlessly  upon  the  arena  of  this 
lU'W  life.  We  must  avoid  past  errors.  We  must  cul- 
tivate fellowship.  Brotherhood  in  fact  as  in  name 
should  be  our  aim.  Be  true  to  the  himian  and  also  to 
the  God  side  of  your  nature.  It  is  the  coiiperation  of 
the  human  and  the  divine  which  alone  can  l)ring  the 
perfection  we  desire  and  should  earnestly  seek.  '  Wliat 
our  hands  find  to  do,  let  us  do  it  with  our  might.'  The 
waste  places  are  to  l)e  reclaimed,  the  deserts  made  to 
bud  and  blossom.  We  are  to  form  a  heritage  of  civil 
and  religious  liberty.  Let  it  be  worthy  of  us  and  of 
the  children  to  whom  we  shall  bequeath  it.  In  this  new 
world  we  are  al)out  to  construct  and  enter,  let  love  reign 
as  queen  in  kingly  power — love  that  shall  crown  us  all 
with  its  deathless  halo  of  glory ;  love  born  in  the  bosom 
of  God,  whence  it  sheds  its  i-adiance  upon  the  hearts  of 
men.  Let  this  love  make  of  earth  a  paradise  regained, 
and  then  lift  us  up  into  the  dwelling-place  of  the  taber- 
nacle of  the  Most  High,  where  the  light  of  eternity's 
morning  shall  shed  its  ineffable  sweetness  upon  the 
resplendent  habitations  of  immortality." 

Tliis  discourse,  like  its  predecessor,  stirred  the  people 
of  Boston  and  \dcinity  as  they  had  never  been  moved 
before.  They  were  thoughtful.  They  went  to  their 
homes  in  silence.  It  also  awakened  expectancy,  and 
in  many  l)osoms  kindled  hope.  It  also  prepared  the 
population,  in  a  measure  at  least,  for  what  was  to  come. 


CHAPTER  XXXYI. 

As  intimated  by  Dr.  Butler,  the  government  issued 
its  manifesto  to  the  people  of  the  nation,  setting  forth 
the  present  condition  of  affairs,  and  the  necessity  of  a 
radical  change.  Only  a  few  of  the  salient  portions  of 
the  document  will  here  be  transcribed.  The  Executive 
Council,  which  is  the  mouthpiece  of  the  government, 
said  to  the  people : 

"  It  is  no  longer  wise  or  safe  to  hide  the  true  situation 
of  ]3ublic  affairs  from  the  people  at  large.  If  we  woidd 
avert  impending  disaster,  promj)t  action  must  be  taken. 
"We  have  waited  for  the  coUapse  of  the  experiment  in 
Massachusetts  to  artificially  make  aU  men  equal,  for  we 
did  not  wish  to  interfere  with  the  trial  of  any  theory 
whose  promise  of  good,  however  visionary,  might  break 
the  force  of  what  we  have  to  say. 

"  We  have  known  for  years  that  the  present  system 
of  government  is  a  failure.  Any  system  which  removes 
personal  interest  in  what  one  does,  or  personal  respon- 
sibility for  the  manner  of  doing  it,  and  for  actions  in 
general,  from  the  individual  to  a  central  power,  must 
fail.  What  a  man  has  no  personal  interest  in,  he  can- 
not love.  What  he  cannot  claim  as  his  own,  he  ceases 
to  cherish.  The  governmental  care  of  all  things 
removes  aU  incentive  to  activity  or  desire  to  excel. 
Ambition  has  no  place  in  our  economy,  if  we  except  the 
few  who  reach  places  of  command  or  authority.  The 
honorable  mention  for  superior  work  with  the  medals 

265 


266  LOOKING    WITHIN'. 

bestowi'd,  which  in  the  beginniug  of  our  present  form 
of  government  caused  some  men  to  exert  themselves, 
has  lost  all  its  significance  and  all  power  to  influence 
citizens  to  put  forth  any  effort  to  secure  so  evanescent 
an  honor.  Apathy  is  the  word  which  most  nearly 
expresses  the  feeling  of  men,  and  the  spii'it  wliicli  per- 
vades all  tlie  avenues  of  activity — or  what  shoidd  be 
activity — in  the  land.  It  is  an  apathy  which  is  the 
precursor  of  dissolution  or  tlie  liarbinger  of  speedy 
decay.     We  will  briefly  sumnuirize  the  situation. 

"1.  There  is  a  falliug  off  of  production  in  all  deptirt- 
nu'uts  of  industry,  whetlier  of  skilled  or  unskilled  work, 
including  agriculture  and  horticultui'e. 

"■  2.  The  supply  of  provisions  now  on  hand  is  short. 
A  poor  crop  next  year,  or  partial  failure,  would  bring 
actual  want  to  the  people.  With  a  full  crop  there  wdU 
be  no  sui'plus. 

''  3.  It  is  impossible  to  awaken  interest,  enthusiasm, 
or  acti\ity  in  any  of  the  depai'tments  of  industrial  labor. 
The  tasks  assigned  are  gi-udgingly,  often  imperfectly, 
performed.  Neghgence  is  quite  common.  In  some 
cases  there  is  entire  avoidance  of  work  on  one  pretense 
or  another.  It  being  impracticable,  if  not  impossible, 
to  provide  ovei'seers  for  each  indi^ddual,  a  remedy  for 
these  evils  has  not  been  devised,  if  indeed  one  can  be 
found. 

"4.  There  is  no  homogeneity  of  interest  or  feeling 
over  the  nation.  Our  people  are  strangers  to  each 
other.  There  is  no  more  fellowship  or  intercourse 
between  the  people  of  the  far  west  and  the  far  east  or 
the  extremes  of  north  and  south  than  between  the 
inhabitants  of  tliis  countr}'  and  foreign  lands.  Indeed^ 
this  lack  of  communication  extends  to  the  interior,  and 
people  who  Uve  a  hundi-ed  miles  from  each  other  are 


LOOKING  WITHIN,  267 

perfect  strangers.  As  the  governineiit  does  all  the 
business  of  the  nation  and  is  the  niedimu  and  active 
operator  in  all  exchanges,  there  is  no  occasion  or  neces- 
sity for  intercom-se  on  the  part  of  the  people ;  and  as 
the  means  of  travel  are  not  possessed  by  any  class  of 
the  population,  almost  no  travel  is  indulged  in.  Wliere 
there  is  nothing  to  bind  together  so  vast  a  territory  as 
ours,  it  is  almost  certain  to  be  divided.  Lack  of  cohe- 
sion with  so  extended  a  domain  is  sure  to  terminate  in 
the  separation  of  the  parts — a  breaking  down  of  its  own 
weight. 

*^  5.  There  is  no  real  improvement  in  any  direction. 
There  is  no  adequate  incentive  to  induce  improvement, 
and  none  can  be  offered  by  the  government  without  a 
departure  from  the  central  idea  of  oiu*  present  system 
of  operations,  namely,  that  the  person  is  to  be  cared 
for  because  he  or  she  is  a  limnan  being,  and  not  for  the 
possession  of  any  gifts  or  endowments.  A  premium 
upon  the  latter  would  produce  discord  at  once. 

"  6.  Having  no  personal  interest  in  and  no  acquaint- 
ance with  each  other,  our  people  are  fast  losing  the 
sense  of  nationality  and  the  patriotic  love  of  country 
as  a  whole  so  essential  to  stability  and  prosperity.  The 
national  feeling  is  simply  a  tradition,  not  a  heart-felt 
possession.  The  people  of  each  locality  have  the  natui-al 
attachment  for  their  native  place,  but  care  little  or 
nothing  for  the  next  province  or  State,  or  its  citizens. 
Hence  there  is  no  broad  sense  or  feeling  of  national 
pride  and  patriotism  such  as  glowed  in  the  bosoms  of 
om'  fathers.  Lack  of  personal  interest  in  the  homes 
they  occupy,  the  land  they  till,  or  the  occupation  they 
follow,  adds  to  this  weakening  of  loyalty  and  love  of 
country. 

''  7.  There  is  no  remedy,  no  recuperative  power  in 


268  LOOKING  ^\^THrN. 

oiir  system  by  whieli  new  life  can  be  infused  into  it. 
It  is  radically  and  inherently  defective.  It  is  out  of 
liarniony  with  those  principles  and  interests  which  must 
be  a  personal  possession  and  inheritance  in  order  to 
the  production  of  the  highest  development  of  humanity, 
or  that  unity  of  sentiment,  feeling,  and  purpose  essen- 
tial to  good  government  and  stable  institutions. 

''8.  After  careful  observation  and  eveiy  effort  pos- 
sible to  improve  affaii'S,  without  success,  we  ai-e  fidly 
persuaded  there  can  be  no  bettering  of  our  condition 
under  the  present  order  of  things,  and  that  a  change  is 
imperatively  demanded,  and  should  be  nuide  ■with  the 
least  possible  delay.  Time  is  valuable  at  this  juncture 
in  oiu'  history. 

^'  The  disease  is  inherent  and  incm-ablc.  The  remedy 
must  be  radical.  We  thei-efore  propose  to  the  people 
of  the  nation,  a  return  to  the  government  of  the  nine- 
teenth centmy  under  the  old  constitution  of  the  United 
States,  with  such  modifications  as  may  be  deemed  wise 
and  expedient." 

Then  follow  a  number  of  suggestions  and  recom- 
mendations, the  most  important  of  which  are  here 
summai'ized  in  brief : 

Owuei'ship  of  land  to  l)e  i-estrieted  at  the  start  t(^  one 
hundred  acres  for  each  family,  then  reduced  gradually 
in  ciuantity  as  population  increases,  until  finally  it 
should  rest  at  twenty-five  acres.  At  each  reduction  the 
owner  was  to  be  permitted  to  sell  the  over^jlus  of  land 
held  at  such  price  as  he  or  she  could  secure,  and  the 
proceeds  of  the  sale  to  be  his  or  hers. 

Income  taxes  were  to  be  collected  on  all  annual 
incomes  of  over  one  thousand  dollars,  the  rate  of  tax- 
ation to  be  graduated.  One  thousand  dollars  income 
to  each  head  of  a  fandly  was  to  be  exempt  from  this 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  269 

species  of  tax.  The  second  thousand  of  income  was 
to  pay  two  per  cent,  per  annum,  with  an  increase  on 
each  additional  thousand  until  fifty  thousand  was 
reached,  on  which  the  tax  was  to  be  fifty  per  cent, 
of  the  income.  This  rate  inchided  all  above  fifty  thou- 
sand doUars. 

The  funds  thus  secured  were  to  be  expended  in 
pubHc  unprovements  of  a  national  character,  upon 
which  labor  was  to  be  given  to  such  as  were  out  of 
employment.     No  idlers  were  to  be  tolerated. 

No  person  whose  annual  income  should  be  one  hun- 
di-ed  thousand  doUars  or  more  should  be  eligible  to  the 
offices  of  President  or  Vice-President  of  the  United 
States,  governor  of  any  State,  or  judge  of  any  com*t 
of  record,  either  national  or  State.  This  was  recom- 
mended to  discourage  the  accmnulation  of  vast  wealth 
in  few  hands. 

The  people  of  the.  several  provinces  were  earnestly 
ad\'ised  to  select  their  best  and  ablest  men  to  represent 
them  in  the  national  convention  called  and  provided 
for.  Voting  places  and  rules  and  regulations  for  the 
conduct  of  elections  were  announced.'  Every  detail  was 
provided  for,  and  such  regulations  adopted  as  should 
secure  order  at  the  jdoUs,  and  uniformity  in  the  conduct 
of  elections  throughoxtt  tlie  realm. 

The  propositions  were  promulgated  so  that  the  pro- 
posed changes  might  be  thoroughly  discussed  by  aU  the 
peoj)le. 

Ha\dng  exhausted  all  their  resources  to  better  the 
affairs  of  the  country  unavailingly,  they  express  a  feel- 
ing of  great  relief  at  the  prospect  of  laying  down  the 
burden  of  care  and  responsibihty  at  the  feet  of  the 
people.  Presuming  that  the  convention  soon  to  assem- 
ble would  find  it  necessary  to  assume  some  legislative 


270  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

functions,  the  following  suggestions  were  put  forth  for 

the  consideration  of  voters : 

"1.  That  all  lauds  be  leased  to  the  tillers  of  the  soil, 
and,  as  far  as  practicable  for  the  general  welfare,  to 
the  present  occupants,  at  a  low  rate  of  rental,  with  the 
pri^olege  of  purchase  by  making  annual  payments  at 
a  low  rate  of  interest,  on  such  terms  aud  under  such 
conditions  as  Congress  may  adopt. 

"2.  That  farming  implements  be  left  on  each  farm  as 
they  are  to  be  used,  theu*  use  free  the  fii'st  year,  under 
suitable  guarantees  for  proper  care  and  preservation, 
and  charges  for  loss  or  abuse.  If  Congress  approves 
the  proposition,  to  be  afterward  sold  to  the  persons 
using  them  at  cash  value,  on  terms  similar  to  land 
sales. 

"3.  Provision  should  be  made  for  operating  the  rail- 
roads, telegraphs,  and  postal  system,  until  Congress  can 
provide  for  the  permanent  disposition  of  the  same.  At 
present,  for  reasons  well  known  and  apparent,  none 
of  these  institutions  pay  iTinning  expenses.  They 
have  been  a  bui'den  and  heavy  tax  upon  the  govern- 
ment for  many  years.  The  roads  have  canied  the 
freights,  but  for  which  they  would  have  been  aban- 
doned. The  telegi'aph  has  been  used  instead  of  the 
mails  for  communication  between  the  government  and 
the  pro\'inces,  or  it  would  have  fallen  into  disuse. 
The  mail  routes  do  not  pay  a  tithe  of  their  expenses ; 
they  have  been  kept  up  because  the  railways  had  to  be 
used,  and  these  having  to  be  operated  for  other  pur- 
poses, lessened  thereby  the  expense  to  the  mail  ser\dce. 
All  these  will  doubtless  become  useful  and  remunera- 
tive under  the  new  order  of  things. 

"4.  The  present  clumsy  currency  should  be  super- 
seded by  one  of  greater  convenience  and  better  adapted 


LOOKING   WITHIN.  271 

to  the  needs  of  a  commercial  and  self-supporting  popu- 
lation. 

"  5.  Temporary  markets  and  methods  of  exchange  or 
for  the  sale  of  produce  wiU  be  requu-ed. 

"  6.  Provision  must  be  made  for  the  continued  care 
and  support  of  pensioners  above  the  age  of  fifty  years, 
as  these  cannot  be  relegated  to  the  producing  classes. 

"  Permanent  regulations  for  most  of  these  matters 
belong  to  Congi-ess ;  but  seasonable  temporary  provis- 
ions may  be  properly  made  by  the  convention,  if  so 
instructed  by  the  people. 

''  Other  measm-es  of  present  utdity  or  necessity  may 
come  before  that  body.  As  there  are  practically  no 
individual  rights  of  property  to  conflict  with  the  forma- 
tion of  the  new  government,  there  will  be  a  compara- 
tively smooth  sea  into  which  the  new  ship  of  state 
may  be  launched.  The  existing  government  wiU  do 
all  in  its  power  to  promote  the  general  welfare  untU 
the  new  machinery  is  put  in  motion,  when  aU  its  bur- 
den of  care  and  responsibility  will  be  laid  down  with 
rejoicing." 

This  document,  properly  authenticated,  was  sent  to 
all  parts  of  the  country  to  be  read  and  pondered  by  the 
inhabitants,  and  to  prepare  them  to  act  their  part  in 
the  momentous  events  about  to  transpii-e.  It  contained 
facts  ah'eady  known  to  the  reader,  but  of  which  the 
body  of  the  people  were  in  ignorance.  It  was  neces- 
sary to  place  these  facts  in  an  official  form,  that  they 
might  go  forth  clothed  with  authority  as  reliable  data 
for  popular  action. 


CHAPTER  XXXYII. 

This  action  of  the  government,  expected  only  by 
the  comparatively  few  who  were  advised  of  the  situa- 
ti(m  and  posted  on  passing  events,  caused  great  excite- 
ment everywhere.  The  people  were  aroused  fi'om  a 
state  of  indifference  and  sloth  to  one  of  impiiry,  inten- 
sity, and  ferment.  Heretofore  the  election  of  the  few 
rulers  had  been  a  matter  of  trifling  interest  to  the  mass 
of  voters.  Now,  for  the  first  time  in  fifty  yeai-s,  and 
dm-ing  the  lifetune  of  a  majority  of  the  electors,  large 
assembhes  were  convened  in  all  the  provinces,  where 
measures  of  public  pohcy  were  discussed.  The  people 
were  deplorably  ignorant  and  needed  instruction  on 
even  the  rudimentary  elements  of  self-government,  and 
of  a  ''  government  of  the  people,  by  the  people,  and  for 
the  people."  Pubhc  meetings  became  public  schools 
for  the  dissemination  of  political  information  and  edu- 
cation. By  these  means  the  voters  became  acquainted 
with  the  men  best  qualified  to  intrust  with  the  duty 
of  forming  a  constitution  and  founding  a  government. 
They  were  uneorrupted  by  political  demagogues  and 
entirely  ignorant  of  the  machine-methods  of  political 
parties  of  the  nineteenth  century,  and  so  selected  as 
their  representatives  the  men  who  proved  themselves 
to  be  the  most  worthy  and  the  best  equipped  for  the 
great  work  they  were  called  upon  to  perform. 

The  convention  met.  It  was  composed  of  the  best 
men  of  the  nation.     It  did  its  woi-k  Av-isely  and  well. 


LOOinNG  WITHIN.  273 

With  some  modifications,  the  features  proposed  l:)y  tlie 
old  government  were  adopted.  Some  new  ones  were 
added.  One  provision  reenforced  the  right  of  the 
States  in  local,  municipal,  ana  pohce  regulations.  The 
national  character  of  the  new  government  was  amply 
secured.  The  best  of  the  ancient  constitution  was 
adopted ;  those  parts  not  desirable,  or  no  longer  appli- 
cable, were  rejected.  The  paternalism  of  the  expiring 
regime  was  utterly  and  entirely  elimmated.  The  instru- 
ment, when  completed,  was  a  masterpiece  of  political 
workmanship. 

The  people  ratified  it  with  gi-eat  unanimity  and 
rejoicing.  State  governments  were  simultaneously 
instituted  and  set  in  motion,  with  new  and  excellent 
features.  Marriage  and  divorce  laws  were  made  uni- 
form throughout  the  land  under  constitutional  provis- 
ions, national  and  State.  Old  defects  were  avoided  and 
valuable  new  provisions  adopted. 

Congi-ess  and  the  legislatures  of  the  several  States 
met  and  enacted  plain,  simple,  and  forcible  codes  of 
laws,  free  from  ambiguities  and  imfettered  by  customs 
and  precedents,  or  any  other  entangling  complications. 
These  were  easily  understood.  The  wheels  of  govern- 
ment were  set  running  smoothly,  without  jar  or  friction. 
All  that  remained  was  for  the  people  to  adjust  them- 
selves and  become  adjusted  to  the  new  order  of  things. 
This  they  did  with  as  much  readiness  as  could  be  ex- 
pected. 

The  change  which  followed  was  marvelous.  Torpor 
was  turned  into  activity,  indifference  into  energy.  New 
life  was  infused  into  every  department  of  industry. 
Business  proper  was  born  again.  It  had  been  dead 
and  bm-ied  so  long,  as  far  as  individual  effort  and  con- 
trol were  concerned,  that  its  new  existence  was  like 


274  LOOKING  WITHIN. 

tliat  of  one  raised  from  the  grave.  The  whole  aspect 
of  affairs  was  so  changed  that  tlie  transformation  was 
scarcely  short  of  a  transfiguration.  So  manifest  was 
this  that  the  people  iuqnu-ed  of  each  other : 

''  How  did  we  manage  to  live  before  we  knew  how  f " 

And  the  reply  was  sometimes  made : 

'^  I  guess  we  did  not  live  at  all  in  the  tnie  sense  of 
the  word.     We  simply  vegetated." 

****** 

Efiie  and  I  returned  to  our  native  place.  We  had  no 
difficulty  in  establishing  the  title  to  both  our  estates, 
and  took  possession  of  them  with  joyful  hearts.  I  was 
restricted  to  one  hundi-ed  acres  of  land,  but  cared  for 
no  more. 

In  time  Effie  had  her  home  restored  to  its  original 
design,  beauty,  and  adornments.  Here  we  were  to  re- 
side, and  no  pains  or  expense  was  spared  to  make 
it  pleasant  and  desii"able.  The  structure  was  solid 
throughout,  and  had  weathered  the  storms  and  neglect 
of  a  hundi'ed  years  with  remarkable  success. 

Wlien  we  passed  through  the  house  we  found  still 
remaining  many  of  the  permanent  featm'es  as  of  old, 
with  theii'  dear  and  sacred  associations.  They  lingered 
as  cherished  pictures  in  the  halls  of  memory.  There 
was  Effie's  own  room,  with  a  thousand  sweet  recol- 
lections flooding  through  it.  As  all  this  past  came 
back  to  her  heart,  Effie's  eyes  filled  with  tears  of  sweet 
joy  and  her  spii-it  bounded  with  gladness.  I  had  not 
seen  her  so  radiant  with  soulful  delight  since  the  day 
of  om*  nuptials.  It  was  home,  with  all  that  precious 
word  means.  No  one  can  enter  into  our  feelings  who, 
like  us,  has  not  been  banished  from  home,  wanderers 
in  a  baiTen  land,  with  no  spot  to  place  a  foot  upon 
and  call  it  ours.     It  was  like  awaking  from  a  troubled 


LOOIvLNG  WITHIN.  275 

dream  into  tlie  sweetest  and  dearest  realities  of  real 
life.  My  wife  went  singing  from  room  to  room  with 
new-born  melody  in  her  heart,  the  brightest,  best,  and 
most  royal  woman  in  the  wide  world.  I  fnlly  shared 
her  happiness,  and  felt  how  blessed  it  was  to  have  such 
a  companion  and  such  a  home. 

After  putting  om*  house  in  order,  I  proposed  to  Effie 
that  we  take  some  excursions  into  the  country  and  \dsit 
the  places  we  had  seen  before,  that  we  might  ascertain 
from  personal  observation  what  changes  had  been 
wi'ought.  Many  wonderful  stories  had  come  to  us  of 
transformations  and  improvements ;  but  to  see  for  our- 
selves would  be  much  more  satisfactory.  At  fii'st  she 
was  a  little  reluctant  to  leave  the  cherished  home,  but 
assented  cheerfully  after  a  little  reflection. 

We  passed  over  the  same  regions  a  quarter  of  a 
century  before.  Then  the  entire  aspect  of  the  country 
was  dreary  as  desolation ;  a  palsied  toi-pidity  was  visi- 
ble on  every  side.  Now  the  desert  had  been  made  to 
"  bud  and  blossom  as  the  rose."  It  was  a  fi'uitf ul  do- 
main. Far  as  the  eye  could  reach  the  waving  fields  of 
grain  gave  promise  of  the  coming  harvest  of  abun- 
dance. Thrift  and  industry  were  visible  everywhere. 
Men  were  active ;  women  were  cheerful ;  childi-en  were 
happy. 

It  was  a  new  life  with  new  experiences.  Its  very 
novelty  was  a  charm.  The  gloom  of  the  previous 
period  of  night  had  taken  the  wings  of  the  morning 
and  flown  away.  Activity  quickened  the  pulses  of  the 
people.  They  were  delighted  by  the  new  ownership  of 
themselves.  They  were  inspired  by  the  right  to  dispose 
of  theii'  time,  labor,  and  persons.  Their  earnings  were 
their  own.  There  was  ambition  to  be  something  and  to 
do  something.     To  excel  was  a  new  incentive.     Emula- 


270  L00K1NC4  Wl'THtN. 

tioii  was  kiudled  in  every  l)reast.  Hope  flung  out  licr 
banner.  The  bow  of  promise  gilded  the  mist  cloud  of 
the  futui'e.  The  world  was  an  arena  of  light  and  glad- 
ness. Sloth  was  ignored.  Idleness  was  banished. 
Energy  was  at  a  premium.  A  listless  person  was  a 
curiosity.  The  evidences  of  universal  occupation  were 
in  advance  of  anything  we  had  seen  even  in  the  olden 
time.  Interest  taken  in  business  was  universal. 
Snatches  of  song  and  whole  melodies  of  rejoicing  told 
more  plainly  than  words  the  bubbhng  joy  in  the  people's 
hearts. 

The  changes  were  as  radical  as  those  described  in 
stories  of  faiiy-land.  Beauty,  taste,  adornment — these 
were  seen  on  every  side.  They  added  a  charm  to  the 
more  prosy  labor  necessary  for  the  wants  of  life.  Smil- 
ing faces,  happy  childi-en,  cheerfid  homes — these  were 
the  evidences  of  a  new  order  of  existence.  At  first  we 
were  absorbed  in  ahnost  silent  admiration ;  then  came 
exclamations  of  delight.  We  were  more  than  gTatified ; 
we  were  exliilarated.  The  blood  tingled  in  our  veins 
to  the  tips  of  our  fingers.     My  -wife  exclaimed : 

"  This  is  coming  out  of  darkness  into  hght,  out  of 
death  into  life." 

And  so  it  was.  It  was  the  dawning  glory  of  the 
morning  of  a  new  era  of  progi'ess,  whose  meridian 
splendor  no  one  could  foretell.  It  was  burying  the 
remams  of  the  dead  past  and  covering  the  world  with 
the  brightness  of  a  H\dng  future.     I  said  to  Effie : 

"You  do  not  Mash  to  return  to  the  system  of  govern- 
mental control,  be  relieved  of  the  burden  and  care  of 
pro\dding  for  yourself,  and  have  no  anxiety  for  the 
morrow  or  the  future  ? " 

"  Not  for  the  world !  Care  and  toil  are  sweet  when 
glorified  by  love.     AU  my  experiences  and  recollections 


LOOKING  WITHIN.  277 

of  paternalism  are  sad  and  gloomy.  Not  a  truly  bright 
spot  appears  as  an  oasis  in  all  the  bleak  desert  of  death. 
It  is  more  like  a  horrible  nightmare  than  anything  else. 
As  I  personally  knew  so  little  abont  it,  what  mnst  it 
have  been  to  sensitive  souls  who  felt  all  the  weight  of 
the  burden  !  How  the  fetters  of  the  government  must 
have  chafed  !  How  the  degradation  of  humanity  must 
have  humbled!  How  the  aspiring  mind  must  have 
writhed  in  the  ii-on  grasp  that  held  it  down  !  I  shudder 
at  the  very  thought  of  that  period  of  desolation." 

We  went  among  the  people,  to  learn  by  personal  in- 
tercourse how  they  felt.  Expressions  like  these  came 
to  us  from  every  quarter : 

"  We  have  something  to  Hve  for  now,  we  never  had 
before.  We  know  what  life  really  is ;  before  this,  we 
only  existed.  The  sense  of  ownership  is  sweet.  Until 
now  we  did  not  own  ourselves,  and  knew  nothing  of 
the  dehght  of  self-possession.  To  go  as  we  jjlease, 
where  we  please,  and  when  we  please  is  a  luxury — a 
new  and  cheering  experience.  To  be  men,  and  not 
machines  or  slaves,  lifts  one  out  of  degradation  into 
manhood.  To  have  something  we  can  call  our  own  is 
a  new  and  invigorating  experience.  To  reap  the  fruit 
of  our  own  endeavors,  to  dispose  of  om'selves  and  our 
earnings,  is  a  precious  privilege,  the  value  of  which  we 
were  strangers  to  until  now.  You  see  the  result :  the 
old  dead-appearing  houses  burnished ;  vines  and  flowers 
adding  beauty  and  fragrance ;  dreariness  made  invit- 
ing. We  go  to  oiu'  homes  now  with  a  sense  of  pride. 
They  are  retreats  made  attractive  by  love,  hope,  and 
ownership.  In  fact,  we  are  in  a  new  world.  'Old 
things  have  passed  away,  all  things  have  become  new,' 
and  we  are  new  men  and  women." 

As  we  moved  from  place  to  place  beholding  the  de- 


278  LOOKING  \^^THIN. 

velopments  of  the  new  life  in  city  and  country,  there 
were  numberless  incidents  witnessed  which  made  glad 
the  heart.  The  stretch  of  mind  and  body  for  some- 
thing better  was  itself  an  inspiration.  The  onward 
look  of  a  soul  that  had  a  future  to  construct  for  itself ; 
the  sparkling  eye;  the  radiant  countenance;  the  ex- 
pectant gaze ;  the  awakened  ambition ;  the  keen  incen- 
tive to  excel ;  the  dread  of  being  left  behind ;  the  up 
and  at  work  everj'^'here — these  were  the  ever-\'isible 
evidences  of  a  people  just  aroused  to  a  sense  of  their 
own  capabiUties.  It  was  better  than  the  nineteenth 
century  in  that  its  novelty  left  no  room  for  torpor,  its 
equality  no  ground  for  envy.  It  was  the  liest  of  the 
former  times,  as  to  persons  and  actions,  made  almost 
universal.  This  apphes,  of  com-se,  to  outward  activity ; 
the  inner  life  could  not  be  seen. 

There  was  another  feature  which  affected  us  differ- 
ently. As  we  were  mo\*ing  very  slowly  past  a  resi- 
dence in  the  country,  the  notes  of  an  instrument  and 
a  sweet  voice  sang  out  clearly  and  tenderly,  "Home, 
sweet  home." 

We  paused  to  listen.  As  the  dear  words  and  music 
of  other  days  came  home  to  om*  hearts  in  the  gather- 
ing t"v\ahght,  Effie  said  softly : 

"  Oh,  how  precious !  I  have  not  heard  that  dear 
song,  so  fuU  of  sacred  associations,  for  a  hundred 
years.     It  has  been  one  of  om*  banished  treasm-es." 

While  she  spoke  the  dew  of  tears  was  in  her  eyes. 
When  the  song  ceased,  and  a  hush  fell  upon  us  and 
the  scene,  she  said : 

"  Let  us  hasten  home.  I  wish  to  feel  this  joy  in  om* 
own  dear  bower." 

It  was  but  a  few  miles  to  the  city.  We  were  return- 
ing from  a  distant  excursion  when  the  incident  arrested 


LOOKING   WITHIN.  279 

attention.  In  a  few  minutes  we  readied  our  destina- 
tion. Effie  scarcely  waited  to  remove  her  wraps  before 
she  sat  down  at  the  piano,  and  while  the  spell  was 
upon  her  sang  those  words  as  I  had  never  heard  them 
sung  before.  Her  soul  was  in  them ;  the  flush  of  in- 
spii'ation  was  on  her  face,  the  light  of  love  and  pathos 
in  her  eye.  Holy  memories  came  trooping  home  as 
from  her  dear  lips,  moved  by  a  divine  impidse,  the 
words  came  like  a  benediction,  so  full  of  all  that  was 
tender,  touching,  and  endearing. 

The  home  of  my  childhood  and  youth !  Mother ! 
Father !  How  they  stood  before  me !  Oh,  the  dear 
recollections !  Then  our  own  beloved  abode,  so  full 
of  all  that  can  make  life  blessed !  As  Effie  finished  I 
caught  her  to  my  breast  with  impassioned  impulse  and 
imprinted  a  long,  Ungering  kiss  of  love  upon  her  lips, 
while  the  words  were  still  ringing  in  my  ears  as  melody 
from  the  skies : 

"  Home,  sweet  home  ! " 

No  more  should  the  song,  the  sentiment,  the  posses- 
sion, be  driven  from  oui*  happy  land.  Paternalism 
WAS  dead! 


THE  END. 


